Gros Louis' tenure as chancellor rich with campus recollections

On his arrival to the Bloomington campus nearly 40 years ago, the young English professor discerned ‘something special’

By Rose McIlveen

He did share some of his memories with members of the Bloomington Professional Staff Council at its March meeting. Some of the memories were off the record, but others are bits and pieces of Bloomington campus history.

There are vivid recollections of the late University Chancellor Herman B Wells. One story concerns an incident before Gros Louis’ arrival on the campus.

The Bloomington utilities director announced that the city was going to drastically raise its rates to the university. Wells called Joe Franklin, who was the university's vice president and treasurer, and suggested that perhaps it was time that the university consider setting up its own utilities. Would Franklin get the names of some good consultants?

“Of course, Franklin called the city utilities director for the names, and suddenly the city dropped its plan to raise the rates,” recalled Gros Louis. “Franklin’s approach to the utilities director was quite innocent, since Wells hadn’t told him about the projected rate hike.”

Wells was always concerned about enrollments, Gros Louis said.

“Each fall, I would get a phone call from Wells, asking "Are the roads crowded? Is there a traffic jam?" Gros Louis said.

Gros Louis recalled that from the moment of his arrival on the campus in 1963, he felt that there was something special about the place. He had just finished his Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin and was looking for a teaching position.

"Every other place where I went for an interview, faculty were introduced to me by their titles. At a gathering in Bloomington at the home of Donald Gray, all of the professors there were introduced by their first names," Gros Louis explained.

He has special memories of the Briscoe Fellows Program, begun during his tenure as chancellor.

"There was the annual Briscoe Follies. The first year (1983), I did a tap dance with flaming batons. The next day my picture was on the front of the Indiana Daily Student . The Briscoe Follies was going to continue as an annual event, and that next year, I had already arranged to ride a horse from the kitchen area into the hall. But we didn’t have it. Probably just as well, because, unfortunately, Pete DeLone died. He was one of the leaders of the Briscoe Fellows," said Gros Louis.

Gros Louis recalled that he and one of his assistants, Bill Van Antwerpen, were always playing practical jokes on each other.

"When the first Chinese delegation visited the campus in 1983, we took them to the Metz Suite in the Union Building. I told the visitors that Bill was fluent in Chinese and Japanese, and they kept talking to him. He couldn’t understand a word and kept nodding and pointing to his throat as if he couldn't speak," said Gros Louis.

Through the years, Gros Louis has met regularly with the six-person Faculty Council Agenda Committee prior to each meeting. He would bring the committee up to date on the state of the campus, sometimes giving them confidential information.

"Not once in the 21 years has the agenda committee ever violated confidences in those meetings," said Gros Louis.

He worries about the changes on the campus. There is the death of Wells, Gros Louis' own retirement and that of others.

"I am concerned that a lot of history, a lot of traditions could be lost. Who will tell the new chancellor about these things—why we have Founders Day, why dedication of the senior class tree," he asked.

He was asked to talk about major challenges ahead for the campus. He mentioned integration of the new School of Informatics with other programs on the campus.

"Bloomington resources will be a challenge. Bloomington and Lafayette are the poorest funded campuses in the Big Ten. If we received the average funding, Bloomington would have $82 million more than it does."

Gros Louis talked about his perception of a gap between junior and senior faculty. "“In some fields, they don't talk to each other. Junior faculty are told to concentrate on getting tenure," he said. "I told President Brand not to ignore the emeriti faculty. They’ll come when you need them."

Gros Louis said that his wife worries that after his retirement, he will follow her around.

:We’ll be traveling a lot the first year. I am to be given an office in Wylie Hall. I’ll also teach an Honors College course the next year," he said.

Gros Louis' retirement reception for faculty on April 19 will be different this year. He will be one of the retirees honored.

IU President Myles Brand has scheduled a retirement reception for Gros Louis on May 2 from 3-6 p.m. in Alumni Hall of the Indiana Memorial Union on the IUB campus.