Jeffrey S. Lehman, dean of the University of Michigan Law School and national leader in higher education, was appointed Cornell University's 11th president by the Board of Trustees at a special meeting held on campus today (Saturday, Dec. 14). He will assume the presidency on July 1, 2003. He succeeds Hunter Rawlings, currently the chair of both the Association of American Universities and the Council of Ivy League Presidents, who has been president of Cornell since 1995. On March 15 of this year, Rawlings announced his intention to retire as president on June 30, 2003.

Lehman, 46, will be the first Cornell alumnus to serve as president of the university. He received an undergraduate degree in mathematics from Cornell in 1977. He also holds advanced degrees in law and in public policy from the University of Michigan.

"The Search Committee enthusiastically and unanimously recommended Dean Lehman's nomination," said Edwin H. Morgens, Cornell trustee and chair of the search committee. "We worked with every segment of the Cornell community to identify the characteristics we required for our next President. We then consulted widely with leaders of higher education throughout the world, as we worked to identify someone who can provide the leadership we need. We considered scores of possible candidates for the position, but Jeff Lehman quickly emerged as exactly the right person for Cornell at this moment in our history.

"Jeff established an extraordinary record of achievement during his nine years as dean of one of our nation's outstanding law schools. He is a distinguished scholar, whose research addresses a wide range of issues at the intersection of law and public policy – from higher education finance to corporate taxation to welfare reform. His record as an academic leader is even more outstanding. During his deanship, Michigan attracted widespread acclaim for its innovations in public service, internationalism and the teaching of legal writing. His colleagues at Michigan speak glowingly of his service on a range of campus-wide matters, including some of the most sensitive challenges the university has faced this past decade. On the national stage, Jeff's remarkable skills have been recognized by his fellow law school deans and by some of the finest leaders in higher education."

Board chairman Peter C. Meinig commented, "The Board of Trustees is delighted that Dean Lehman will return to his alma mater as its eleventh president. Dean Lehman's commitment to the welfare of students at all levels and his understanding of the public responsibilities of American universities are particularly important qualities for the presidency of New York's land grant university. All of the higher education community appreciates the eloquent voice he has brought to the discussion of complex issues of educational policy. That is especially true with regard to the complex and critically important subject of affirmative action in university admissions."

Lehman responded, "It is a great honor to assume the presidency of a university that is one of New York's signal contributions to the world. Cornell's founding vision was remarkable: to be nonsectarian, coeducational, racially integrated, and at the same time to stand proudly among our nation's superb research universities. Today, Cornell remains true to that founding vision, as its faculty, students and graduates provide global leadership in every domain of our society. I am enthusiastic about working with everyone who cares about Cornell to help realize the full measure of our aspirations."

President Rawlings added his warm welcome, saying: "The appointment of Jeff Lehman is good news for all Cornellians. He will be a terrific leader for Cornell, bringing precisely the right combination of personal and professional qualifications to lead Cornell for many years to come."

National leaders in higher education hailed Cornell's selection.

William Bowen, president of the Mellon Foundation and former president of Princeton University, said: "My heartiest congratulations to Cornell. What an inspired choice. I am confident that Dean Lehman will provide outstanding leadership in Ithaca and beyond."

Lee Bollinger, president of Columbia University, said: "Cornell University is so very fortunate to have the extraordinary talents of Jeff Lehman. Not only Cornell but also all of higher education will benefit. Jeff has an instinctive grasp of academic leadership. Above all else, he is devoted to the values that make universities great social institutions."

Mary Sue Coleman, president of the University of Michigan, said: "Jeff has been a valued colleague providing strong leadership for the University of Michigan's Law School. During his tenure the school has maintained its stellar academic stature and significantly expanded its programs in transnational law, legal writing and clinical education. In addition, Jeff is a distinguished and articulate voice in the University's defense of its law school admissions policies with an unwavering commitment to educational diversity. Along the way, he has fostered wonderful relationships with alumni and friends, building a strong foundation for the law school's future. I am happy for Jeff and wish him all the best as he embarks on this wonderful opportunity."

John Sexton, President of New York University, said: "I have known and admired Jeff Lehman for more than a decade. He is an educational leader of the first order and a perfect match for a great school like Cornell. I welcome him to New York, and I look forward to working with him as I have in the past."

Lehman is a native New Yorker. He was born in Bronxville and grew up in White Plains and Bethesda, Maryland. After completing his formal education, Lehman served as law clerk to Chief Judge Frank M. Coffin of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, and then as law clerk to Associate Justice John Paul Stevens of the Supreme Court of the United States. He was an associate in the Washington, D.C., law firm of Caplin & Drysdale before he joined the Michigan faculty in 1987. Lehman has taught at the Yale Law School and at the University of Paris. He now serves as the president of the American Law Deans Association and as a trustee of the Skadden Fellowship Foundation. In 1995 The National Law Journal named him one of 40 "Rising Stars in the Law."