Columbia Center for Oral History Portal > Reminiscences of Michael P. Mortell : oral history, 2005.
| Creator: | Mortell, Michael P. | Project: | Atlantic Philanthropies Oral History Project.
(see all project interviews) | Phys. Desc. : | transcript 144 pages sound recordings 6 CD-ROMs (120; 123; 78 min.) | | Location: | Columbia Center for Oral History | | Full CLIO record >> |
Biographical NoteUniversity President, Emeritus.
Scope and ContentsChildhood in County Cork, Ireland; family background; financial hardships; B.S. in mathematics and applied mathematics, University College Cork [UCC], 1961; MS. in mathematical science, UCC, 1963; Ph.D. in applied mathematics, California Institute of Technology [Caltech], 1967; college experiences; impressions of Caltech and life in the US; work experience: associate professor at the Center for the Applications of Mathematics, Lehigh University, PA, 1967-1972; lecturer at UCC, 1972-19??; registrar of UCC, 1978-1988; president of UCC, 1989-1999; chairman of the Conference of Heads of Irish Universities [CHIU], 1990, 1996; presidency election process; efforts and difficulties in revamping university profile and research tradition; influence of Caltech model of higher education on direction for UCC; personal philosophy on the purpose and role of the university in Ireland's landscape; government's shifting attitude towards higher education and the role of the university in Ireland's economy; fundraising and the role of government and private industry in financing higher education in Ireland; Charles F. Feeney's philanthropy in Ireland and impact on higher education; Atlantic Philanthropies' contributions to UCC; reflections on AP's administration and anonymity policy; campus expansion projects; establishment and function of CHIU; negotiations and passage of Universities Act of 1997; reflections on the appointment of his successor'; impressions of Charles Feeney and other Atlantic Philanthropies staff members.
SubjectsAccess ConditionsCopyright held by: The Trustees of Columbia University of the City of New York and The Atlantic Philanthropies, 2007.
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