SU Chicago Honors Lifetime Trustees

What do Trustees do anyway? Find out more about SU Trustees and what they have done.

I was the emcee for a recent event honoring three Chicago-area Lifetime Trustees of Syracuse University for all their years of service, and all the wonderful things they’ve done for the school. When you become a trustee, you can serve three four-year terms. After the last term, you become what is called a “Lifetime Trustee.” This means that you remain a trustee who is involved and still can be a member of board committees and other things, but you lose your voting rights.

They all have great passion for Syracuse University. What's really neat is that the trustees are not only graduates of Syracuse University, but they also have a strong family legacy of SU Alumni. In one case, the trustee's parents and sisters were graduates, their children are graduates, and their grandchildren are graduates. It is really cool to see that their commitment to the university goes beyond serving on the board; their family members also have orange in their blood.

The honorees eloquently spoke about what makes them so passionate about SU.

William J. Brodsky was elected to the Board of Trustees in 1987. He has been the chair and CEO of the Chicago Board Options Exchange since 1997, having previously served as president and CEO of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Brodsky is a member of Syracuse University’s Investment and Endowment Committee and a life member of the College of Law Board of Visitors, served on the Schine Student Center National Campaign, and as vice chair of the Campaign for Syracuse. Brodsky was awarded the George Arents Pioneer Medal in 1983, a Varsity Club Letterman of Distinction Award in 1995, and the College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Alumni Award in 1998. In addition, he spearheaded the drive to fund and establish the Michael O. Sawyer Endowed Professorship in Constitutional Law.

Renée Schine Crown was elected to the Board of Trustees in 1970. She is a civic leader and philanthropist who lends her support and expertise to several Chicago-based organizations. A founding member and former president of the Women's Board of Northwestern University, she is an honorary life director of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. She serves on the boards of WTIW/Channel 11 (Public Television), the Boys and Girls Club of Chicago, the Chicago Lyric Opera Women's Board, and the Field Museum of National History Women's Board.

Crown also serves on the Syracuse University Facilities Committee of the Board. She was chair of the Schine Student Center Campaign, (the Center opened in 1985), was co-chair of leadership gifts for the Campaign for Syracuse, and serves on the Board of Visitors for the College of Arts and Sciences. She also served on the $300-million Commitment to Learning Campaign Executive Committee.

Morris S. Weeden was elected to the Board of Trustees in 1969. He retired as vice chair of Morton Thiokol, Inc. in 1984. After graduate school and military service, he joined Bristol Laboratories in Syracuse, where he served as treasurer, vice president for finance, and executive vice president, and was appointed president in 1968. In 1973 he joined Morton Norwich Products, Inc. as president of the international division based in New York City. He became group vice president of the corporation and director of the company in 1974, executive vice president of Morton Norwich Products in 1975, and vice chair in 1980. The company's name changed to Morton Thiokol in 1982 when Thiokol, Inc. was acquired. Since his retirement, Weeden has served as a consultant to start-up companies in the health care field. For Syracuse University, Weeden is a past president of the National Alumni Association and a past chair of the University's Corporate Advisory Council.

Trustees are like directors in a company; we really help to manage the University. We are responsible for making sure that the school is acting with integrity and adhering to its own policies. We look at buildings that may need to be rebuilt, we discuss adding to the curriculum or new kinds of majors or academic areas. We review the budget, look at outreach programs and much more.

I was honored to be at a such a wonderful event that, in turn, honored such a great group of esteemed Syracuse University Trustees.