5 questions for Hank Brown 2008 Citizen of the West

By Maria Cote, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published January 11, 2008 at 12:30 a.m.

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Brown

If leadership ability could be ranked on a scale of one to 10 - one being a lemming, 10 being the president of a nation - Hank Brown is in the double digits.

That's what a committee of community leaders for the National Western Stock Show decided when they named Brown the 2008 Citizen of the West.

Brown, president of the University of Colorado, holds a bachelor's degree in accounting and a juris doctorate degree from the University of Colorado Law School, and a master of law degree from George Washington University.

Rocky Mountain News reporter Maria Cote spoke with Brown, 67, who will be honored Wednesday at the Citizen of the West Award Dinner at the Adam's Mark Hotel.

1 Your tenure at CU has marked a renaissance for the school, which was battling many problems. Enrollment, donations, and student diversity have increased, and state funding has increased. What did it take to get to this point?

I didn't do it alone. Many of the top positions are new, and it's a strong group. The key is that you address problems promptly. For instance, Ward Churchill. It's nice to have that issue decided. Someone we paid to do research was dishonest. It's no more complex. That's all there is to it.

2 You spent 16 years in Washington, and many say you were respected by both Republicans and Democrats. How did you manage that?

Well, I like to say you can fool some of the people some of the time.

3 You plan to retire soon. What's next?

I'll teach, for sure. I've loved everything I've done over the years, but teaching is special.

4 What does being named Citizen of the West mean to you?

I'm just so honored. My grandparents were both involved in the cattle industry. The event is a celebration of livestock, which really was the main industry in Colorado back then.

5 So do you own a pair of leather boots and a cowboy hat?

Of course! I was born in Denver, you know. I just love this state.

cotem@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5169

Wrangling up accomplishments

The resume of Hank Brown, the 2008 Citizen of the West:

* He entered CU in 1957 on a football scholarship and served as student body president.

* A decorated veteran of the U.S. Navy, he served as a forward air controller along the coastal areas outside DaNang during the Vietnam War.

* Served in the U.S. House of Representatives, and was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1990.

* President of the University of Northern Colorado from 1998 to 2002, and as president and CEO for the Daniels Fund, a billion-dollar foundation, from 2002 to 2005.

* After serving as interim president, appointed the University of Colorado's 21st president in August of 2005. He will retire when his replacement is named.

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