He jets around the nation, gives speeches, shakes hands and asks for money. Bill Clinton? Bob Dole? Nah. This president -- Stanford's Gerhard Casper already holds office. And he's still campaigning.
Since 1993, Casper has visited with alumni in 38 cities and six countries. The trips, arranged in concert with the Stanford Alumni Association, have become an integral part of the president's job. "When I first did it, it was really for the alumni to meet the new president -- who I am, what I think is important," Casper says. "What I'm doing now, I think, will never end. It will always be important to come in person and tell alumni not only about the University but also answer questions."
Casper drew about 185 alums to Atwater's Restaurant in Portland, Ore., last April. Carol Chesarek, '83, MS '84, came to the reception to learn and mingle. "I enjoy hearing the latest stuff," she says. "But I probably come here more to see people."
High school senior Katie Lorenz, '00, came not only to see the president, but to glimpse her future. "This is a chance to see what I'll be like in 40 years," she says, scanning the room of name-tagged alumni with a smile. "Looks like I'll be pretty successful."
After schmoozing with the crowd, Casper spoke of his view of Stanford's past and future, its challenges, triumphs, tradition of excellence and hopes for the future. Part pep talk, part fund-raising device, the speech was soft, passionate and persuasive.
Wherever he goes, alumni tend to question Casper on similar topics: Western Civ courses, foreign language requirements, political correctness and damage from the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. "The questions are not just about the Band," Casper says.
And the outings aren't always flawless affairs, says Alumni Association President Bill Stone. He kept up with Casper's travels to 15 cities in 1993 and witnessed some dicey moments: unsteady podiums, flaky public address systems, a horrific monsoon, a distracting flock of ducks and "a power blackout where 200-plus senior citizens all had to find identical tan raincoats with the aid of one flashlight."
Still, the trials of national outreach are worth enduring for the president and alumni. "It went well," says Mario Vasquez, '77, who arranged for Casper to visit his group, the Stanford Chicano/Latino Alumni Association of Southern California, in Santa Monica in March. "He answered questions regarding Stanford's direction. We asked a lot of questions."
One query that caught Casper momentarily by surprise came at a meeting in Portland. "I was asked: How did I evaluate my own performance, and how long would I last as president?" Ever the diplomat, Casper declines to grade himself. But he points out, as he often does, that "I have less job security than the U.S. president because I serve at the pleasure of the board of trustees."
So, does Casper feel like he's campaigning for that other presidency as he travels the endless alumni trail? No, he says with a laugh.
"I feel like a missionary," Casper says, and laughs again. "I feel like a missionary."
Vader is a staff writer for The Oregonian in Portland.
