A Legacy of Leadership

Under Dr. Roselle's leadership, the University of Delaware achieved many major milestones, including the highly successful completion of its first capital fund-raising effort, the Campaign for Delaware. The campaign far exceeded its original goal of $225 million, raising more than $431 million.

Accomplishments during Dr. Roselle's tenure include:

• an endowment in excess of $1.2 billion, compared to $326 million in 1990;

• an increase in average SAT scores of entering freshmen from 1121 in 1991 to 1206 in 2005, and an increase in student aid from $19 million in 1991 to $56 million in 2005;

• 75 percent increase in full-time graduate students and a 160 percent increase in financial aid to graduate students;

• an increase in the percentage of graduates who have taken advantage of study abroad from 11.8 percent in 1990 to 41 percent in 2005, and a dramatic change in scholarship support for study abroad from nothing in 1990 to $400,000 in 2005;

• greater diversity on the campus among students, faculty and staff;

• an increase in scholarship support for men's and women's varsity athletics from $1.3 million in 1990 to $5.8 million in 2005;

• an increase in the number of endowed faculty positions from 21 in 1997 to 106;

• the addition of major new buildings across the campus, including the Bob Carpenter Sports/Convocation Center, Allen Laboratory, Gore Hall, new sorority houses, Trabant University Center, Lerner Hall, Studio Arts Building, P.S. du Pont Hall, the Courtyard Newark-University of Delaware, George Read Hall and three parking decks, as well as Arsht Hall in Wilmington, the Paradee Center in Dover and the Carvel Research and Education Center in Georgetown;

• renovations of almost all campus buildings, including Mitchell Hall, Memorial Hall, Bayard Sharp Hall, Mechanical Hall and Jastak-Burgess Hall;

• completely integrating technology into the University's infrastructure so that all campus buildings are wired for computer access, with many offering wireless support when appropriate;

• an award-winning use of technology across the campus to facilitate everything from course registration to human resources management, all in a way that is user-friendly;

• a transformed University of Delaware Library, with thousands of resources available to the University community online, 24 hours a day, seven days a week;

• the acquisition of the Paul R. Jones Collection of African American Art, which includes significant holdings of works by 20th-century African American artists; and

• an award-winning effort to address the problem of alcohol abuse on campus, including nine years of support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

In June 2003, UD's Center for the Arts was officially named the Louise and David Roselle Center for the Arts. In May 2001, the University of Delaware Faculty Senate passed a resolution recognizing Dr. Roselle for his "outstanding leadership in advancing the mission of the University," and in November 2005, the Senate passed a resolution praising him for his accomplishments over the previous 15 years, from strengthening the University's infrastructure and financial resources to supporting excellence in scholarship and research with higher faculty salaries and an increased number of endowed professorships.

In 2008, the University of Delaware conferred Dr. Roselle an honorary doctor of science degree, commending him for being a “respected educator and mentor, a visionary leader and administrator, a valued steward of the University’s physical campus, a talented fundraiser, proud champion of the Blue Hen spirit and devoted friend of the arts.”

A 1961 graduate of West Chester University, President Roselle received his Ph.D. in mathematics in 1965 from Duke University. He served on the faculties of the University of Maryland, Louisiana State University and Virginia Polytechnic and State University, where he also held several administrative posts, including that of provost. He became president of the University of Kentucky in 1987, serving for nearly three years there before coming to UD. In 2011, the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees named a residential building on the Lexington campus in his honor.

Dr. Roselle was also a professor of mathematical sciences at UD during his presidency. His professional activities included membership in the Mathematical Association of America, which he served as secretary from 1975-84. He also served as associate editor of the American Mathematical Monthly. Additionally, he was a member of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics and the American Mathematical Society. He also refereed several journals, including Mathematical Reviews.

He was past president of the Southeastern University Research Association Council of Presidents and of the Consortium for Mathematics and Its Applications.

Dr. Roselle also served as a trustee of the Winterthur Museum, the Christiana Care Corp. and the Public Policy Institute of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, and he was a member of the Board of Directors of the Wilmington Grand Opera House, the Wilmington Trust Co., OCLC Inc. and VTLS Inc.

In 1976, West Chester University awarded him its Distinguished Alumnus Award and in 1994 an honorary Doctor of Law degree. In 1978, Virginia Tech awarded him a certificate for teaching excellence, and in 1984, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics presented him with its Certificate of Appreciation.

In 1989, the Association for Management of Information Technology in Higher Education presented him with the CAUSE Recognition Award for Institutional Leadership. In 1990, the University of Kentucky National Alumni Association gave him its Distinguished Service Award, citing him for his wisdom in guiding the institution through difficult times. In 1999, Soka University in Tokyo awarded him an honorary doctorate.

In 2004, Dr. Roselle received the Presidents Leadership Award from the Education Development Center's Center for College Health and Safety in recognition of his efforts to rein in alcohol abuse on campus, and that year he was also awarded the Dr. James Tilton Distinguished Service Award from the University and Whist Club in Wilmington.

The American Council on Education presented Dr. Roselle with its Council of Fellows Mentor's Award for higher education leadership development in 2005.

This article will be updated as additional information about services are made public.