BOSTON -- May 1, 2006:Responding to Chancellor William T. Hogan's retirement announcement, President Jack M. Wilson today described Chancellor Hogan as "a visionary, a pioneer and a consummate leader and educator."
"Bill Hogan has led the Lowell campus for a quarter century and in that time has developed numerous areas of research and academic excellence, particularly in the realm of science and technology. It is fair to say that Chancellor Hogan invented UMass-Lowell and then reinvented the campus several times along the way. Chancellor Hogan established the gold standard in terms of community involvement, building partnerships and bonds in Lowell and in the Merrimack Valley that have brought economic success and social progress to the region. When it came to caring about his city, his region and his University, Bill Hogan took a back seat to no one. The University of Massachusetts and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts benefited from his distinguished service and are better places because of him," President Wilson said.
Chancellor Hogan, 73, announced today that he will retire as of July 3, bringing to an end a 25-year tenure as chief executive officer of the Lowell campus. Chancellor Hogan joined the faculty of Lowell Technological Institute in 1963 and served in a variety of academic and administrative positions before becoming President of the University of Lowell in 1981 and Chancellor of UMass-Lowell in 1991. Lowell Tech and the University of Lowell are predecessor institutions of UMass-Lowell.
President Wilson, in consultation with UMass Board of Trustees Chairman James J. Karam, will launch a national search for a successor to Chancellor Hogan. Search plans will be developed in the near future, but a key component in the process will be the appointment of a search committee consisting of representatives of key constituencies. President Wilson said an interim Chancellor would serve while the search is under way.
"We will discuss our search plans shortly, but this is a day to pay tribute to Bill Hogan for his long and distinguished service and to wish him well in his retirement," President Wilson said.