Celebrating the contributions of .. Ernest A. Lynton 1926-1998 Numerous colleagues have written us with their reflections on the impressive contributions Ernest made to institutions, individuals, and higher education. From among the many communications received, some highlights are offered here as recognition and celebration of this remarkable individual. All of us in American higher education, and in particular, those of us in the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities, lost a dear friend and distinguished advocate with the passing of Ernest Lynton. All of us will miss the intellectual leadership he provided our Coalition from its inception. Ernest was a major leader in articulating the importance and the potential of the role of urban and metropolitan universities. And as the founding editor of Metropolitan Universities journal, he created the cornerstone of our Coalition. Ernest and his work may best be characterized as the glue that held the Coalition together well enough for us to attract a growing mem- bership, now including more than fifty U.S. and four British and Cana- dian universities. We shall miss his ability to ask the right questions and, more often than not, propose answers that influenced our decisions for our own campuses. As our Coalition forges ahead, we will continue to benefit from reflecting and acting on the example he set for us. -Alfred F Hurley Chancellor and President of the University of North Texas, and President of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities 8 Metropolitan Universities/Summer 1998 As publisher of Metropolitan Universities, appointed in mid- 1995, I had the privilege of knowing Ernest Lynton for a much shorter time than most of those who have written of him in this tribute. But I feel deeply grateful for the opportunity to have worked with him for nearly three years in that close and harmonious collaboration of editor and publisher so essential in the production of a scholarly journal. Ernest was one of the most vigorous and vibrant gentlemen and scholars that I have ever known. His belief in the mission of the Coalition was profound. The Journal's existence and continued suc- cess are due in large part to his dedication, scholarly thinking, hard work, and commitment to fighting for principles-of the Journal, of the institutions we all represent, and of scholarship in general. All of this he did with infallible good humor, diplomacy, and an exquisite sense of timing. As proof, he had the foresight to choose an able successor early in his illness, enabling her to apprentice on the Journal long enough to take on full editorial responsibility without the slightest misstep. I shall miss Ernie enormously, both professionally and person- ally. But he has given me and all of us that rarest of contributions- himself and his enduring accomplishments. -Marilyn Mattsson, Publisher Metropolitan Universities: An International Forum I first came to know Ernest Lynton in the summer of 1980 when I arrived on the doorstep of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC) with the responsi- bility for organizing a division ofurban affairs for the association. When I settled into my office, my colleague Sue Fratkin gave me a very simple first instruction: "Call Ernest Lynton." At that time he was vice presi- dent for academic affairs at the University of Massachusetts and one of the leaders in the creation of the urban affairs division after a long political battle within NASULGC. From that first call until his death, Ernest was a firm ally, mentor, and friend . What always impressed me most about Ernest was his willing- ness-indeed eagerness-to push beyond the boundaries and beliefs that American higher education has so comfortably accepted for much of this century. That the urban and metropolitan university could be a legitimate model for higher education, that the most innovative aca- demic leaders and leadership could be found far from the confines of an Ivy League or land-grant university-these and many other ideas that seemed revolutionary when Ernest first voiced them two and three decades ago-have become key concepts of the late 1990s. Ernest was as steady and forthright as anyone I have known in his belief that the American university could change to serve its students, faculty, and the larger public more effectively. Ernesf s last contribution to Metropolitan Universities bore the haunting title, "Time is Running Out." In that essay, he was both warning us about the growing distrust of higher education, and reiterat- ing his belief that the urban and metropolitan university is likely to be the key to recapturing the public trust. The finest tribute we can pay to his memory is to rededicate ourselves to the support and advocacy for these institutions for which he cared so deeply. -Nevin C. Brown The Educational Trust Ernest Lynton will stand out as the most inspiring model of professional creativity and integrity in my life. Even in his last days- when his energy was diminished-he continued to pursue the issues of professional service and the challenges of documenting the related schol- arship. He wanted to be certain that faculty would be supported and re.cognized for their contributions. He committed himself totally to that work, and to its potential to refonn higher education and enhance faculty roles and rewards. Ernest was a powerful mentor and friend to me, and I feel immensely privileged to have known and worked with him. -Amy Driscoll Portland State University s Director of Community-University Partnerships, and collaborator with Ernest Lynton on the Kellogg-funded Professional Service Documentation Project In his book with Sandra Elman, New Priorities for the Uni- versity, Ernest Lynton wrote about what a "new" university might be: "The 'new' university is an institution less clearly delineated than the traditional one; it is more interrelated with its surroundings, and it is in fact a part of the context in which it operates .... Its faculty will include 9 I 0 Metropolitan Universities/Summer 1998 practitioners who have learned to incorporate their experience into a theoretical framework, and conversely it will ensure that its academi- cally trained professors will have opportunities for first-hand practical applications of their theoretical knowledge" (p. 163). We all had the opportunity to work with Ernest Lynton, who served as a Senior Associate at NERCHE, and he joined us in the design of the Program on F acuity Professional Service and Academic Outreach. This program began by exploring what it means for college and university faculty to put Ernest's ideas into practice. He always insisted that we focus on what he called "faculty professional service," and we sometimes wondered why he was so adamant about this term. But Ernest was an experienced administrator and political analyst of higher education who knew that if "professional" were not attached to "service," it would be assimilated into the more familiar, and less val- ued, sorts of service-committee membership, disciplinary activities, and good works of various sorts. He wanted to underline the useful- ness of expert knowledge and at the same time legitimate this way of thinking about it, and he understood that faculty work was the key to bring- ing higher education back into the public realm after a long period of sepa- ration. We will continue to strive toward resolving the issues he raised about how higher education might be changed to accomplish this goal. -Catherine Burack, Zelda Gamson, Deborah Hirsch, and Sharon Singleton New England Resource Center for Higher Education Among all of the fine individuals involved with Metropolitan Uni- versities journal and the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universi- ties, Ernest Lynton was a true leader in the field. He took the mission of the urban and metropolitan university seriously and promoted it in every aspect of his administrative and scholarly activity. Perhaps more importantly, he unfailingly commended others for pursuing the mission in their work, thereby assuring that it would be carried into the new millenium. Through his far-reaching insights, Ernest embodied the spirit of the metropolitan university. He contributed time, energy, scholarly and administrative expertise, and most of all, his heartfelt dedication. -John C. Hitt President, University of Central Florida