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Myles Brand (1942 - ) is president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and prior to that served as the sixteenth president of Indiana University.
Vita
Born May 17, 1942, Brand earned his Bachelor of Science degree in philosophy from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1964, and his Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Rochester in 1967. Prior to serving at Indiana University, Brand served as president at the University of Oregon from 1989 to 1994. Brand's other administrative posts include provost and vice-president for academic affairs, Ohio State University, 1986-89; coordinating dean, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Arizona, 1985-86; dean, faculty of social and behavioral sciences, University of Arizona, 1983-86; director, Cognitive Science Program, University of Arizona, 1982-85; head, department of philosophy, University of Arizona, 1981-83; chairman, department of philosophy, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1972-80. He began his career in the department of philosophy, University of Pittsburgh, 1967-72.
Tenure at Indiana University
Brand was president from 1994 through 2002 of Indiana University, an eight-campus institution of higher education with nearly 100,000 students, 17,000 employees and a budget of $3.4 billion. Brand oversaw the largest single privatization effort in the institution's history - the consolidation of the IU Medical Center Hospitals and Methodist Hospital to form Clarian Health Partners. He initiated an innovative marketing plan designed to more effectively tell the story of Indiana University's first-class programs and educational opportunities. He helped Indiana University become a national leader in information technology, and he led the largest and most successful endowment campaign in the university's history. Brand was also instrumental in initiating the Central Indiana Life Sciences project, with IU in the leadership role.
At IU, Brand was known as a dedicated advocate for the university, often working 6 1/2 days a week. He was seen by some as serious and outspoken -- not a gladhander -- and by others as aggressive and aloof -- not open to discussion. Some faculty criticized his priorities, saying he let the administration grow too large and too many top professors leave. And they felt he allowed the quality of the institution to slip, as evidenced by lower academic qualifications for the freshman class. Others said he left behind a stronger university than when he arrived. Enrollment, research funds, private donations and faculty salaries all went up under his tenure.
Brand may be best known for firing IU's legendary men's basketball coach Bobby Knight in 2000. Reactions to the firing were varied but public opinion weighed heavily against it. The night of the firing an angry crowd of thousands of IU students converged outside Brand's Bloomington home, the Bryan House, to protest. He was burned in effigy and police escorted Brand and his wife to a safer location.
Despite his effectiveness as a leader and fundraiser, Brand's firing of Bob Knight caused the president's popularity among students and alumni to wane. But Brand's tough stand against Knight and what he believed was a false perception that the university valued althetics over academics garnered praise among others. Brand would quickly become the model for "proper" college priorities on academics and reigning in the "big business" of college athletics. [http://www2.indystar.com/library/factfiles/people/b/brand_myles/brand.html One of his most notable and nationally acclaimed speeches was to the National Press Club in 2001, entitled, "Academics First: Reforming Intercollegiate Athletics." Here, he underscored the need for the academic community to acknowledge and address the disparities that exist between intercollegiate athletics and the true mission of higher education.
NCAA Leadership
In 2002, roughly two years following the firing of Bob Knight, Brand left Indiana University to become president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, located in Indianapolis. Brand took the helm of the NCAA during a time when it was criticized for not valuing academics and education. Brand, a former college president and academic, was expected to bring new priorities to an institution previously gverned by Cedric Dempsey, whose background was that of an athlete, coach and athletic administrator. Brand vowed to improve the overall experience for student-athletes, helping them attain both an education and increasing postgraduate opportunities. In a speech to the National Press Club, Brand said that "intercollegiate athletics can be a vital force in America's culture, exemplifying the positive spirit and values of our way of life," but he also expressed his strong belief "that academics must come first."
Brand has warned that the "arms race" among upper-echelon schools is the biggest dilemma confronting the NCAA's future success. "This spiraling of success demanding even more success has good people of noble intentions chasing both the carrot and their tails," he said.
Under his tenure the NCAA Executive Committee decided not to conduct championships on the campuses of member institutions where the use of nicknames and mascots representing American Indians is considered hostile and abusive.
External links
1942 births | Living people | American university presidents
"Myles Brand"