Portrait of Charles R. Adrian

Erickson, James H.

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October 12, 1998

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Jim Erickson, UCR's first Vice Chancellor for University Advancement, emphasizes the impact individuals and families from the region have had on the Riverside campus.
Excerpt from Transcript
Erickson: Um hmm. Why don't you talk a little about your philosophy of community and regional involvement?

JHE: I think it's absolutely critical for a campus that's in a community to be of the community and to reach out to that community. There is a sense of community here that we experienced in Peoria, Illinois. Both have been unique. That was a private university, Bradley, founded by a woman in 1897. And this university that was really founded by a group of community leaders. Riverside … we know the quality and the inner qualities and beauty of Riverside. It's not considered a glamour city as is a LaJolla or Santa Barbara or a Newport Beach or Irvine, but it's a quality city, and I think we have a responsibility to reach out and to thank the Judge Gabberts of the world for what they did to put us here. There are so many people who've had a profound impact on that, but when Judge Gabbert and John Babbage and Phil Boyd and Jim Wortz and so many people in the early … you've interviewed some … the early CUC leaders, and there's (pause)

Erickson: Sherm Babcock.

JHE: Sherm Babcock. Sherm Babcock epitomizes all the decency of our volunteer network. He is so humble and so gracious yet he has done so much. Those are the kind of people that we need to literally return the favor to-they put us here, and we can never lose sight of that.

Fortunately, we haven't, I feel. I hope future administrations will be as sensitive.

Erickson: Um hmm.

JHE: They'd better, because if they ever lose sight of that, they've lost the special partnership that exists in this community.

Questions Regarding this Oral History Project should be directed to Jan Erickson at jan.erickson@ucr.edu.