e-Communiqué

August/September 2007

Published exclusively for members of ACCED-I

At Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) we just said goodbye to our president of 15 years, Albert J. Simone. Among the many groups who honored him throughout the year, both within RIT and in the greater Rochester community, we planned a very successful "Community Tribute to Al and Carolie Simone" on June 16 in our Gordon Field House and Activities Center. The event was attended by nearly 900 guests, and while many were faculty and staff, the event was also attended by a great number of corporate and community leaders; a true tribute to the Simone's impact on the Rochester community. While the event was a fitting tribute to a great leader who made such a lasting impact on our university, it was also an opportunity for us to showcase the growth of our university over the last 15 years.

The event was meant to be respectful, retrospective, and fun, and I think we accomplished that goal. The Gordon Field House was turned into a ballroom atmosphere for a reception and black-tie-optional dinner. Since an increase in RIT spirit and the use of the school colors had evolved under Dr. Simone's tenure, the décor incorporated the school colors of brown and orange. The theme of the event was "How you start is how you finish." These were some of Dr. Simone's favorite words of wisdom. In his opening day address 15 years ago, he made that statement and talked about the "RIT Train" and the final destination with many stops along the way. His opening day address outlined what he had hoped to accomplish during his tenure, and believe it or not, when we were researching for the event theme, we realized that he had accomplished all he had set out to do. Thus, "How you start is how you finish."

Now for the event...The event began with a reception at 6:00 p.m., followed by a dinner at 7:00 p.m. Our master of ceremonies was a local media anchor who welcomed the guests and introduced a short video that included early photos and a brief audio of President Simone's first opening day address-that set the stage for the grand entrance. The video ended with music and train tracks. The President and Mrs. Simone then entered the Field House on an RIT Train, along with the RIT Tiger mascot. The "train" was a covered 4-seat golf cart that was decorated by our designer to look like a train, which of course included the RIT seal. Once the Simones were seated, a faculty member sang and played harmonica to "You Can Call Me Al," another statement that we heard from Al Simone many times over the years. Of course this was our own version, rewritten by two committee members.

A series of three tribute videos were produced for the event and were shown before and after dinner. The themes of each segment included: university growth/student success, community and diversity, and memorable Simone moments that included an interview with family and humorous stories by colleagues and friends. Just prior to dinner, RIT's new president, William Destler, was introduced by our board chair, and presented him with a pair of size 24 shoes. Dinner entertainment included dances by a local youth dance theatre group and RIT's own artist-in-residence. Local, state and federal officials were all represented and presented flags, resolutions, and warm regards for all Simone's work with them on behalf of RIT.

The keynote address by our provost, "Life with Al,” was heartfelt and not without some humor. There were special presentations to both the President and Mrs. Simone. RIT is home to the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, and as a tribute to all her work on behalf of the deaf community, a scholarship was created in Carolie's name. In addition, an endowed professorship was named for Dr. Simone in RIT's Center for Entrepreneurship, another initiative close to his heart. Following the presentations, the Simones each had their chance to speak. Mrs. Simone dropped a thirty-page fake script, poking fun at the president's reputation for long speeches, but warmly thanked all the RIT and Rochester communities. President Simone had the last word, and thanked everyone for their role in helping to move RIT toward his dream of a "Category of One" university.

Finally, as President and Mrs. Simone left the stage to begin their new life together, their exit on the RIT train was accompanied by a recording of Dr. Simone playing piano to "Forever Darling," the song he played when he proposed to Carolie more than 50 years ago. Now as event planners, you will all appreciate how this occurred. The original plan was to deliver the Simones to the dance floor for the first dance to their song, performed by the Gap Mangione Orchestra. At 4:30 p.m. on the day of the event, the president called to tell us that his wife had found the record of his performance and had gone out and bought a recorder to transfer from record to CD. He asked if we could play it as they left the room on the golf cart (train). Of course we could! The CD was delivered at 6:00 p.m. and all the scripts and technical cues were changed. Once they got to the dance floor, the orchestra began the live version of the song and the Simones began the next phase of their life together--just how they started. The rest of the evening included dancing and socializing. As guests left for the evening, they were given keepsake bobbleheads of Dr. and Mrs. Simone, a big hit with all the Simone family and friends! I'll finish by saying that this was one event that was a labor of love for all involved, a tribute to a great leader and friend who has forever left his mark on RIT.