Three Distinguished AUP Board Chairs

On May 26, 2018, faculty, alumni, staff, current Board Members and Board Emeriti gathered to honor three distinguished AUP leaders in our Combes Student Life Center. The Henze Family Grands Salons were dedicated to three exemplary former Chairs of the AUP Board of Trustees: Pierre Salinger, David McGovern and Judith Hermanson Ogilvie; plaques commemorating them were unveiled.

Since its founding year in 1962, The American University of Paris (then the American College in Paris) has continuously grown in global reach and academic reputation, adapting to a changing world while carefully maintaining its core values and distinctly international culture. Times of transition have highlighted the importance of Board of Trustees’ steadfast governance and oversight and the exceptional leadership of its Board Chairs. The Henze Family Grands Salons were dedicated with deep appreciation to three exemplary individuals, each of whom has been, at a critical juncture, a trusted strategic adviser, an ambassador for the liberal arts in Europe, and a staunch defender of the University. Their strength of vision has shaped AUP’s educational culture and set its course, contributing to AUP’s current profile as an internationally recognized site of cross-cultural teaching, scholarship and academic convocation.

Pierre Salinger was White House Press Secretary to Presidents Kennedy and Johnson and served as a member of the AUP Board of Trustees for twenty years under six presidents, serving as its Chair (1980-89) and Honorary Chair (1990-98). During his term as Board Chair, thanks to his historical connections to the French government, his devotion to the institution, and his strong and enduring partnership with President Daniel Socolow, ACP – soon to become AUP – became a fully compliant, legally recognized institution in France. Salinger oversaw a period of tremendous tumult, leading to growth and expansion of the faculty and student bodies, during which his gifts as a speechwriter and journalist permitted AUP to articulate its vision and promise to the world.

David McGovern is founder of and partner in Shearman and Sterling’s Law Offices in Paris and is the longest-serving member of AUP’s Board of Trustees, guiding the University’s path since 1980 (a total of 38 years and still counting). His tenure on the Board paralleled the University’s development from a two-year college to a Master’s university, the only comprehensive, foreign-accredited institution of higher learning on French soil. During his tenure as Chair (1989-94), McGovern weathered the First Gulf War, as well as local wars with union representatives on campus and the University’s creation of a full-time faculty. He chaired two presidential searches and has served on every committee of the Board. McGovern is known to all for his ethic of service, his leadership of virtually every American institution in Paris, and his love for liberal education.

Judith Hermanson Ogilvie, a member of ACP’s second entering class, joined the board in 1999 while actively engaged in her influential career in public service and international development. From 2008-2014, she served as the first woman and first alumna elected by the Board of Trustees to serve as its Chair, establishing mature and lasting governance practices and thoughtfully stewarding the University in the aftermath of merger and location considerations.  She made the historic decision to remain in the 7th, maintaining AUP’s strong ties to the city of Paris and its distinctly global character. She chaired the 2008 Presidential Search Committee, leading the entire community in the appointment of Celeste Schenck. Ogilvie embodies the finest qualities of AUP’s global explorer who navigates multiple cultural environments with wit, imagination, respect for cultural difference and joie de vivre.

We are delighted that these distinguished members of the AUP community are permanently honored in our renovated Combes building, and we invite you to see the Salons for yourself. The next time you are in Paris, reach out to alumniaup.edu for a campus tour!