Erin Lamb
Special Projects Writer

Courtesy University Archive University President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg attends a School of Business and Public Management ceremony early in his term.

In 1988, Stephen Joel Trachtenbergıs tenure as University president began with a whiff of controversy over finances. Trachtenberg, with a reputation as a master fundraiser, deemed the official presidential residence, at Tracy Place N.W., unfit for the type of entertaining that his contract with the University required.

Trachtenberg told The Hatchet, "It would be like inviting someone to be captain of the swimming team and then saying you wonıt have a pool." The University bought Trachtenberg a new presidential residence at Bancroft Place N.W., insisting that funds for the home came primarily from the sale of the old residence, and that the Universityıs real estate fund made up the difference. The home, a former residence of Joseph Hirshhorn, the benefactor of the Smithsonian Institutionıs Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, included servantsı quarters, a marble master bedroom, two two-car garages, curtains, chandeliers and a four-poster-bed.

Dissent ensued over the lavish quarters. The Hatchet wrote that "a report in the The Washington Times reported that an unidentified University official said several GW faculty members and administrators were 'furious' over the proposed acquisition, 'especially since it comes at a time when the University is cutting some department budgets.'"

The Law School wrote an editorial stating, "There is still the sneaking suspicion that George Washington University, the largest landholder in the District of Columbia, benefits more from our tuition dollars than we do. For example, ex-University President Elliott, before leaving the school this past summer, mandated an across-the-board cut for all University departments because of fund deficiencies. And our (Law School) tuition increased at a rate 2 percent above inflation."

With the Hatchet headline reading, "Wherever I hang my hat is home sweet home," the reign of Trachtenberg had begun.

Trachtenberg introduced himself to the student body in a letter in The Hatchet. He wrote it with a comic touch, addressing not only parent concerns but students' as well. He wrote, "This is a school so poised for take-off to the next level of excellence that it's like some rocket just waiting for someone to push the red button." He ended the letter, "Alas, my parents are no longer alive. So, Iım sending the letter to you instead, my fellow students, and I am asking you this simple question: Is there any real reason under the sun why we canıt do good things for ourselves, our families, our careers and our university, our nation and our world, while still having a wonderful time?"

The new president further articulated his vision for the University in a series of sit-down interviews with The Hatchet. First order of business? The University was in the middle of a housing crunch. Rumors abounded that Trachtenberg had actually ordered the Office of Admissions to increase class size.

In what was about to become a running theme, Trachtenberg said, "I never talked to the Office of Admissions, but I must confess that Iım not terribly disappointed. People have discovered that (GW) is a popular place. If I have my way, itıll become more popular and competitive to get into ­ thatıs the way you build a great University.²

Trachtenberg also vowed to expand housing options on campus, pointing to the extensive construction that had gone on at the University of Hartford under his tenure.

Showing foresight of problems to come, Trachtenberg said, "When I left (Hartford) last week to move to Washington, another 1,000-bedroom complex was underway, adjacent to the first one. We had an advantage because that was a suburban institution to build onto. In Washington, itıs a different set of problems. If you were to take a tour of inner-city campuses, I think you would discover that the housing at GW is competitive ­ we want to be wonderful. I set that as a goal for myself."

Trachtenberg also articulated his long-term plans for the University.

"Here, itıs an orchestra, and in pulling the various parts of the orchestra into harmony, there's the excitement and the challenge. What weıve got here are people who, on the one hand, are committed to philosophy and on the other are committed to engineering, on the one hand committed to elitism and on the other to increasing democratization of the admissions process. It (this institution) is consensual, it is participatory, and just about nobody is prepared to take orders," he said.

There is no doubt that the Trachtenberg era has certainly made its mark on the University. And yet, some things ­ fundraising, community complaints, construction and tuition increases ­ continue to be issues.