Monument on Lowry honors female chancellor
Published Nov. 18, 2003
On a rare visit back to the MU, former chancellor Barbara Uehling spoke of the campus development much like a proud parent would speak of a child.
"My goodness, I can't even keep track of it all," Uehling said. "You've grown so much."
Uehling returned to Columbia for the unveiling of a monument constructed in her honor for her accomplishments during her term as chancellor from 1978 to 1986.
Former vice chancellor Kee Groshong, MU Staff Council Chairwoman Gail Lawrence, molecular biology program Director Don Riddle and Chancellor Richard Wallace spoke at the ceremony commemorating the unveiling.
"You are indeed one of my mentors, and I want to do good for you," Wallace said to Uehling during his speech.
When Wallace first met Uehling, it wasn't around the campus. It wasn't in Columbia. It wasn't even in Missouri.
The two met in a classroom at Northwestern University, where Wallace was the student and Uehling stood at the front of the statistics class as a teaching assistant.
"It was a great class," Wallace said.
Uehling was named chancellor of MU in 1978, making her the first woman chancellor in the nation. Although she was setting an example for other women administrators who would follow, she said she rarely had the time to dwell on it.
"I couldn't really afford to stop and think of it," Uehling said.
Although she took office as chancellor 25 years ago, Uehling said she faced many of the same challenges MU administration faces today.
"We wanted to build some excellence, and it was very difficult to find the money to even do small things," Uehling said.
During her tenure, she worked toward improving campus beautification, hiring more minority faculty members, attempting to create a more cohesive environment for the MU staff and faculty and developing research funding.
"She indeed started us on our way to being a major player among our peer universities," Wallace said.
Uehling also created the Barbara S. Uehling award for administrative excellence, which Groshong pocketed in 1988.
"I always thought that was the best thing I was given," Groshong said.
During his speech, Groshong mentioned many of Uehling's pet projects, including the allocation and restoration of many campus buildings and streets ' including Lowry Mall.
"I think we're going to be forever in her debt," Groshong said.