Cartwright says goodbye to Trustees in her final meeting

President Carol Cartwright presides over her last Board of Trustees meeting May 24 in the Urban Conference Room in the Library. MICHELE ROEHRIG | SUMMER KENT STATER

Credit: Steve Schirra

     Part of the university’s farewell to President Carol Cartwright was a book called Oh, the Places You’ve Been, an illustrated Dr. Seuss parody highlighting her achievements.

In that same style, Cartwright wished the Board of Trustees well at her final meeting at the head of the table on May 24.

“You have brains in your head,” she began, reading her poem. “You have feet in your shoes. As I bid you farewell, there’s no need for the blues.”

Cartwright went on to explain, in rhyme of course, how much she appreciated their hard work and said she was looking forward to singing Kent State’s praises.

Chair R. Douglas Cowan said the end of this year was both typical and historic, as Cartwright stepped down and President-elect Lester Lefton was named.

“People expect that I will be very emotional, and there is an emotion, but it’s more pride,” Cartwright said after the meeting.

Cartwright said she thinks Kent State is ready for the future, and Lefton will move the university forward. Both he and the campus are excited to start the next chapter, she said.

“I’m going to be cheering from the sidelines,” Cartwright said.

She has been hired as an adviser to Lefton for the first year of his presidency to help the transition go smoothly.

The board presented Cartwright with a book containing copies of her inaugural speech, all of her state of the university addresses and select pictures.

“Serving here has been an enormous privilege,” Cartwright said.

So much has changed since that first speech, she said. It’s been “white-water” the whole time, constantly moving.

“Blackberries went in pies,” she said. “People didn’t carry them around and read their e-mail.”

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