DSU Board Names Dr. Claibourne Smith Trustee Emeritus

Dr. Claibourne D. Smith attended his last regular meeting as a longtime member of the DSU Board of Trustees on Jan. 21, culminating his 28 years of DSU service by being presented the honor of Trustee Emeritus.

As Trustee Emeritus, Dr. Smith will be welcomed to attend Board meetings in a non-voting capacity.

The below resolution was presented to Dr. Smith by Board Chairman David G. Turner during the meeting:

DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

A RESOLUTION HONORING DR. CLAIBOURNE D. SMITH FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND ELECTING HIM AS A TRUSTEE EMERITUS

               Whereas, Dr. Claibourne D. Smith has served as a Trustee of Delaware State University for almost 28 years since his initial appointment in July 1988 by then-Gov. Michael N. Castle to finish the term of former board member Arthur Richardson;

               Whereas, at the time of his appointment, his background included chemistry degrees that culminated with a terminal Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of Oregon in 1964, as well as his employment as an executive with DuPont;

              Whereas, Dr. Smith’s diligent service resulted in the Board’s confidence to elect him board president (changed the following year to the office of board chairman) in 1993;

              Whereas, during his leadership of that body, the DSU Board of Trustees oversaw numerous improvements and advancements at the institution, including but not limited to: the elevation of the college to university status in 1993; the expansion of the campus infrastructure, which included the construction of 12 new buildings as well as an off-campus apartment complex; the growth of bachelor’s and master’s degree offerings and the establishment of the University’s first five doctoral programs; two successful presidential search processes; three reaffirmations of the University’s accreditation; as well as many other institutional achievements;

              Whereas, prior to his 1998 retirement as vice president of technology of DuPont, Dr. Smith also served as the vice chairman of the company’s Corporate Educational initiatives and was responsible for manpower planning and development for the Central Research and Development function;

              Whereas, over the years, Dr. Smith served as a 13-year member of the Delaware State Board of Education, Northeast Area director and a member of the National Association of State Boards of Education’s (NASBE) Board of Directors, a member of the Advisory Committee on Education Statistics of the U.S. Department of Education and a member of the National Science Foundation’s CEOSE (Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering);

              Whereas, following the August 2008 resignation of DSU President Allen L. Sessoms, Dr. Smith temporarily stepped down from his board chairmanship to assume the post of acting DSU president during which service he provided stable presidential leadership over the next 16 months, enabling the University to carry out a methodical and successful presidential search process;

             Whereas, upon the appointment of Dr. Harry L. Williams as the 10^th president of DSU in January 2010, Dr. Smith resumed his responsibility as board chairman and continued to lead this body until he announced that he would step down from the post effective January 2015. He also announced at that time that he would continue to serve as a board member until his appointment expired Feb. 18, 2016;

            Whereas, in high recognition for his leadership’s countless contributions to remarkable growth of the University during his tenure, in June 2015 the DSU Administration Building was renamed the Claibourne D. Smith Administration Building; and

            Whereas, during his long service on the Board, Dr. Smith has demonstrated great dedication and collegiality and has provided highly valued leadership and counsel to the Board’s deliberations.

            NOW THEREFORE, in recognition of his long and distinguished service to the University and its Board of Trustees, having received the recommendation of the Committee on Trustees, the Board hereby elects Dr. Claibourne D. Smith as a Trustee Emeritus of Delaware State University. 

           The undersigned certifies that the foregoing Resolution was unanimously adopted by the Board of Trustees of Delaware State University on January 21, 2016.

David E. Turner

Chairman, Board of Trustees