President Henry Bienen hasn’t made a lot of public fuss about his impending departure from the university. But on June 4, Bienen and retiring Chairman of the Board of Trustees Patrick G. Ryan will stand in the spotlight for an — albeit low-key — retirement tribute at Deering Meadow.
According to a press release, student leaders and trustees will speak about Bienen and Ryan, music will play and refreshments will be served. Everyone at Northwestern is invited, and reservations aren’t required.
The two-hour event seems especially mellow compared to the four days of inauguration festivities planned for incoming president Morton Schapiro in October. The university will welcome Schapiro with a concert, a speech from Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Thomas Friedman, as well as other events and discussions across campus, in addition to the swearing-in itself.
The tribute will serve a simple purpose. As William Osborn, chair-elect of the Board of Trustees put it in a statement: “This will provide everyone an opportunity to thank Pat and Henry for their 14 years of remarkable leadership.”
Ryan’s tenure has overlapped completely with Bienen’s. Ryan chaired the committee that eventually chose Bienen as the new president, according to the press release, and took the position of chair of the Board of Trustees in 1996, a year after Bienen took office.
Ryan retired last year from his job as CEO of the reinsurance and risk management company Aon, but still doesn’t seem to have a lot of free time on his hands. He is the chair of the organization Chicago 2016, which controls the Chicago’s bid for the Summer Olympic games. He will also remain a member of Northwestern’s Board of Trustees.