Shapiro looks to the past, with an eye toward his legacy

The University's fund-raising champion, construction mogul and figurehead enters the dark waiting area of One Nassau Hall on Saturday as if nothing has changed. Shaking his orange and black umbrella gently, he fastens its strap and brushes a few stray beads of water off his suit.

Just as Friday's sun gave way to Saturday's rain, there is something different about President Shapiro. With confident strides down the hallway, he casually greets the lone secretary in his office. Settling into his desk chair, he appears visibly relaxed as the weight of his decision to resign at the end of this year seems to roll off his shoulders.

And for an instant, he looks relieved.

But the look faded quickly as he began to reflect on his resignation and how he made his decision. "I passed my 65th birthday last June and there are a lot of other things I really want to do both in teaching and writing," he said. "It was a very hard decision to make. I love my job here at Princeton."

Shapiro said he continues to derive satisfaction from being president. "I still have lots of energy and I have enormous affection and admiration for the students and faculty here," he said. "It's so much fun to do this job. It felt like I was giving up something which I really enjoyed."

Just a day earlier, Shapiro, before a much larger cadre of reporters, appeared to fumble with the same words as he fought back his emotions. Now it was as if he had embraced the reality of those words, reveling in the opportunities that await him.

During his recently completed capital campaign, Shapiro was constantly away from his family, working on planes and in hotels as he traveled the globe. Now he will be able to stay close to home and enjoy family activities.

"[I want to] spend a little time with my family. As I also told the trustees, when I came to Princeton I had one grandchild. Now I have 11," he said. "Unfortunately only two of them live here in Princeton and so I'd like a chance to spend some time with them."

But Shapiro became reserved when asked about his approach to interacting with students. The polished orator clicked his pen nervously and paused before crossing his legs and beginning his response. Though some students on campus feel he is somewhat inaccessible, Shapiro said he believes his connection with students is one of the strongest aspects of his presidency and a source of pride.

"I can't imagine a president who has had more direct interactions with students than I have," he said. "I don't know if there was another president who ever had office hours each week, and every week these office hours are full."

"I don't think there is another president who has had students over regularly for breakfast semester in, semester out," Shapiro continued. "I don't think there has been another president in the colleges so often as I have for dinner with groups of RAs and their students. If there has been, I'd be very surprised — but I don't think that is the case."

But Shapiro is not shy about discussing his plans for the University. "I've gone about doing what I thought was right. While I have many agendas, none of them are hidden. I just try to go ahead and move the University forward," he said.

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Nevertheless, Shapiro said he does not plan on being directly involved in one of the most important decision-making processes the University faces in the next year. He will not serve in any capacity on the committee to find his successor.

"What I have told the chairman of the board is if he wants my advice at any time, I will respond to him. I'm going to wait for the call," he said. "Naturally, anything I can do to help Princeton in the future I will do."

Shapiro said he believes the selection committee will most likely be successful in hiring a new president before this year's Commencement. If the selection committee does not find a successor before the coming academic year, Shapiro said he would be willing to stay on as president for an additional semester.

There are many initiatives that Shapiro said he nostalgically remembers from his tenure. Though he has been credited by many for the successes of the University in recent years, he said he tries not to steal the spotlight from his colleagues. He prefers to be known as an "enabler" and the man behind the scenes who facilitated the success of the greater University community.

He is particularly proud of his accomplishments in the area of financial aid where he believes the University now fulfills a greater mission.

"[The University's plans are] all contingent on fulfilling our social responsibilities. Our primary social responsibilities are educating students and contributing to the world of scholarship," he said. "But integral to that is Princeton being accessible to students of abilities and motivation regardless of their financial background."

But perhaps the most notable of Shapiro's accomplishments has been the good relationship he has enjoyed with his colleagues in Nassau Hall. Viewed by many administrators as a father figure, Shapiro says he feels responsible for and connected to his employees. "That's something everybody — any leader — feels with people who've worked for you," he said. "I think the people working here in Nassau Hall are very talented. I think an incoming president would be very lucky if they would join with him or her."

But with the deftness of an experienced orator, Shapiro led the conversation back to the issues foremost on his mind.

"What we really have to care about is the University," he said. "It's the University that is the focus of our efforts here and what's healthy for the University sort of dominates all these concerns."