University Times

Pitt’s Board of Trustees is expected to elect Herbert P. Douglas Jr. and Frank E. Mosier as emeritus trustees when the board meets on Oct. 31 at 10:30 a.m. in the William Pitt Union.

The nominations of Douglas and Mosier were unanimously approved yesterday, Oct. 23, by the board’s nominating committee.

Emeritus trustees may vote at committee meetings but not at meetings of the full board. Their terms are indefinite.

Douglas is a retired vice president of Schieffelin & Co., now known as Schieffelin & Somerset. He is president emeritus of the International Amateur Athletic Association and founder of the organization’s Global Peace Award and American-International Athlete Trophy.

A trustee from 1999 to 2002, Douglas served on the board’s affirmative action and athletics committees. He continues to serve as a community representative on those committees.

Douglas held the Pitt record in the long jump for 23 years and won a bronze medal in that event during the 1948 Olympic Games. He is a varsity Letterman of Distinction and received the University of Pittsburgh Bicentennial Medallion of Distinction and the Trustees Medallion. From Pitt, Douglas earned a B.S. in physical education in 1948 and a master of education degree in 1950.

Normally, Pitt trustees must serve for 10 years on the board before being considered as emeritus trustees, but the nominating committee waived that requirement for Douglas.

Mosier, retired vice president of BP of America, was a Pitt trustee from 1987 to 2002. He served on the board’s executive, affirmative action, compensation, institutional advancement, nominating, and property and facilities committees. He also chaired a special committee on technology transfer, was a member of the University of Pittsburgh Trust Board of Trustees, and from 1987 to 1992 was vice chairperson of the board.

Mosier is a member of the School of Engineering Board of Visitors and continues to serve on the trustees’ property and facilities committee as a community representative.

A recipient of the University of Pittsburgh Bicentennial Medallion of Distinction and the Trustees Medallion, Mosier earned a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from Pitt in 1953.

Mosier has been commuting to Pitt trustees meetings from Cleveland and Douglas from Philadelphia, yet both have served “with great distinction” and are eager to continue contributing to Pitt as emeritus trustees, Chancellor Mark Nordenberg said.

Also at the Oct. 31 meeting, trustees are expected to:

• Approve funding of a new $188 million Pitt biomedical science tower as an addition to the University’s current fiscal year capital budget. The trustees’ property and facilities committee approved the project itself earlier this month. The planned tower on Fifth Avenue between Lothrop and Darragh streets will have 10 stories plus a basement. Its 326,300 square feet will house some 50 research groups, said Pitt officials, adding that the University anticipates completing the building in late 2006 or early 2007.

• Accept Pitt audited financial statements for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2002, as well as an audit report by Pennsylvania’s auditor general. The trustees’ audit committee endorsed both reports at its Oct. 16 meeting.

— Bruce Steele