January 30, 2008 (Vol. 7, No. 1)

40th Anniversary Kick-Off Held at Alliance Bernstein

Lehman College President Ricardo Fernández (left) with Jeffrey S. Wiesenfeld (center), a CUNY Trustee as well as principal in Alliance Bernstein Wealth Management and host of the 'Lehman College: 40 Years of Achievement in Higher Education' celebration. On the right is Antonio Flores, CEO and President of HACU (Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities).

Alumni, faculty, staff, students, and friends of Lehman gathered at the headquarters of AllianceBernstein in midtown Manhattan January 10 to celebrate a kick-off reception for the College's 40th anniversary commemoration. The festive event was hosted by CUNY Trustee Jeffrey S. Wiesenfeld, principal in Bernstein Global Wealth Management, who also served as the evening's Master of Ceremonies and led off the program with complimentary and congratulatory remarks about the College's achievements.

Also speaking were CUNY Chancellor Matthew Goldstein, who talked about his pride in the beauty of the Lehman campus, the excellence of its faculty and programs, and the outstanding leadership of its two presidents, Dr. Leonard Lief and Dr. Ricardo R. Fernández. Antonio Flores, president and CEO of HACU (Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities), who flew in from San Antonio for the reception, echoed the Chancellor's praise and spoke in particular of the national regard in which President Fernández is held within the higher education community.

Former Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer, attending with his wife Aramina, who is a Lehman alumna and vice chair of the Lehman College Foundation, recalled his ongoing productive relationship with Lehman over the years and singled out some of the College's accomplishments. David H. Levey, chair of the Lehman College Foundation, explained the role of the Foundation in generating private contributions to support the College's work, citing especially the increasing number of student scholarships the Foundation has been able to generate.

Last to speak, President Fernández thanked all those present, as well as those on campus, for contributing to the institution's excellence, referred to the legacy of Governor Lehman, and mentioned some of the events and initiatives underway or on the horizon. He concluded his presentation by introducing a Fortieth Anniversary video, which featured interviews with current students, founding faculty, prominent alumni, long-time staff, and the family of Herbert H. Lehman.

A segment in the video with Ambassador John L. Loeb and William Bernhard, both members of Governor Lehman's family, stressed the College's commitment to his legacy. The video also emphasized the importance of higher education for New York City's changing population and expressed commitment to a future that will include continued academic achievement, physical growth such as the new Science Facility, and increased scholarship support.

The official campus kick-off will take place in March at the Lehman Lecture. Lehman officially became a senior college of The City University of New York on July 1, 1968.

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