U Magazine, Spring 1990

"We can trace a lot ofour success directly to the leadership ofBishop Maher. I have worked side-by-side with him for 18 years andfeel a great debt ofgratitude to him for his commitment to the university. " Chairman of USD 's board of trustees since 1972 and before that chairman of the College for Men board beginning in 1969, Bishop Maher has helped nurture a brand-new, somewhat unsure-of-itself institurion in 1972 to a thriving, confi– dent university in 1990. And although he has chosen to let the spotlight shine on other members of USD's family during the past two decades, university insiders agree that the bishop deserves his share of the credit for USD's success. He certainly helped the university build an enviable track record during the past 18 years, they say. Enrollment increased from 2,200 to nearly 6,000 students. The operating budget climbed from $4.5 to $72 million. The univer– sity's fixed assets skyrocketed from $22.3 to $170 million. President Author E. Hughes, whose tenure as president runs parallel with the bishop's term of office as board chairman, concurs with the notion of the bishop's indispensabili ty. "We can trace a lot of our success directly to the leadership of Bishop Maher. I have worked side-by-side with him for 18 years," he says, "and feel a great debt of gratitude to him for his commitment to the university. " The bishop himself beams with pride when he discusses USD. His eyes gleam when he shares details from the univer– sity's birth. His smile grows large when he describes the liveliness of young minds. His tone deepens when he lists the uni– versity's achievements. - PRESIDENT AUTHOR E. HUGHES

Bishop Maher escorts Mother Teresa of Calcutta into the Hahn University Center during her May, 1988 visit to campus.

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