NE Higher Ed Giant Knapp Dies

By John O. Harney

New England higher education lost a giant this week. Former University of Massachusetts President David C. Knapp died Tuesday, April 13, at age 82.  Knapp was UMass president from 1978 to 1990 and NEBHE chair from 1998 to 2000. The obituaries hailed Knapp for developing the current five-campus UMass system. I'll remember him most for his good-natured and smart cynicism and for always—always—defending the highest principles of academia, even as others around him were bought and sold on the latest management fads in higher ed accountability and efficiency. As a few colleagues and I often wondered: Who will succeed the David Knapps when they leave us?

Filed under  //   University of Massachusetts  

About

The New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) promotes greater educational opportunities and services for the residents of New England. In pursuit of this mission, we work across the six New England states to:

- Engage and assist leaders in the assessment, development, and implementation of sound education practices and policies of regional significance.

- Promote policies, programs, and best practices to assist the states in implementing important regional higher education policies.

- Promote regional cooperation and programs that encourage the efficient use and sharing of educational resources.

- Provide leadership to strengthen the relationship between higher education and the economic well-being of New England.