Surveying the Combat Zone

Black Issues in Higher Education, August 19, 1999

4) Christopher Edley Jr., former adviser to President Clinton

Harvard Law School professor helped shape President Bill Clinton's 1995 highly regarded "Mend It, Don't End It" speech defending affirmative action. He also co-authored the affirmative action review of federal programs that year.

5) Fred Gainous, chancellor, Alabama State College System

Gainous, appointed chancellor in March 1998, is an African American pioneer in the position.

6) Leonard L. Haynes III/Carolynn Reid-Wallace, former assistant secretaries of Education for higher education, Bush administration

Haynes and Reid-Wallace, both African Americans, had responsibility in the Bush Education Department for higher education matters. Reid-Wallace succeeded Haynes in the position.

7) Adam Herbert, chancellor, University of Florida System

As the first Black chancellor of the University of Florida System, Herbert is not afraid to ruffle feathers as he shakes up the system to improve it. Officials at historically Black Florida A&M are wary of him.

8) Catherine LeBlanc, executive director, White House Initiative on HBCUs

This administrator with a business background has helped coordinate federal agency outreach to HBCUs during the time of the federal government's largest flow of federal dollars to historically Black institutions.

9) William Bradford Reynolds, former assistant secretary for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Justice, Reagan administration

Controversial Reynolds reversed the course on enforcement of civil rights laws, including that of higher education desegregation cases.

10) Richard Riley, U.S. Secretary of Education

South Carolina Democrat and former governor gets high marks for integrity and commitment to diversity and access. He has appointed minorities to key senior positions, such as chief of staff and general counsel.

11) Benjamin Ruffin, chairman, University of North Carolina Board of Governors

Black business executive and former political aide oversees public university system with the largest number of historically Black institutions.

12) David Satcher, M.D., U.S. Surgeon General

Hard-working former president of Meharry Medical School has not forgotten his roots on affordable healthcare access and medical education issues.

13) Louis Sullivan, M.D., former secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Bush administration

Founder and current president of the Morehouse School of Medicine was the first Black to head HHS in a Republican administration.

14) Luther S. Williams, assistant director of Education and Human Resources, National Science Foundation

Former Atlanta University president has looked out for minority-serving institutions while managing NSF's education, training, faculty development, and scholarship programs. NSF's budget for education and human resources was $633 million in 1998.

15. Judith Winston, general counsel at U.S. Department of Education and former executive director of the President's Advisory Commission on Race Relations

Winston managed controversial and heavily-criticized commission with integrity and dignity.