Former dean retires from Northwestern presidency

Henry Bienen, former dean of the Wilson School, recently announced his decision to retire from his position as president of Northwestern University effective August 31, 2009, a position he has held since leaving Princeton in 1994.

Bienen’s long relationship with Princeton began in 1966, when he took a position as an assistant politics professor. He was promoted to professor of politics and international affairs in 1972, and then to James S. McDonnell distinguished university professor and dean of the Wilson School, where he served until he was sought out for Northwestern’s presidency. He has also consulted for the U.S. Department of State, National Security Council and the CIA.

Bienen’s time at Princeton established him as both a successful administrator and academic.

“He was an energetic scholar who kept producing publications even after administration absorbed much of his time,” Wilson School professor Fred Greenstein said.

Bienen said he believes, however, that his forte lies with running organizations. Despite having edited and co-authored 16 books, Bienen doubts that his future endeavors will include research.

Greenstein witnessed Bienen’s ability in managerial positions. “Once he was placed at the head of a university body that had financial needs, he really came into his own,” he said.

Wilson School

Though Bienen remains modest in discussing the impact he had on the Wilson School, faculty at Princeton lauded his time here.

“Henry Bienen was the main builder of Princeton’s faculty in comparative politics and development,” Wilson School professor Lynn White said. “He was a force of nature, absolutely indefatigable.”

The greatest impact he had on the Wilson School was shifting its focus from domestic to international issues, an endeavor that current Dean Anne-Marie Slaughter ’80 is continuing from her sabbatical in China, White said.

Bienen’s emphasis on international affairs also influenced his administration at Northwestern. Bienen worked to create a Northwestern satellite campus in Qatar and taught classes on global affairs every year, Northwestern student body president Jonathan Webber said.

Colleagues praised him for his accomplishments outside of his administrative and academic pursuits.

White said that Bienen had “the rare combination of high standards and kindness toward everybody.”

“I was struck by his energy and his engaging sense of humor, which he was perfectly capable of turning on himself,” Greenstein said. He added that Bienen is “totally unpretentious.”

Northwestern

Bienen’s myriad accomplishments at Northwestern include doubling the number of undergraduate applications and expanding research opportunities to increasing the number of Big Ten championships that Northwestern’s athletic teams have won.

Northwestern students appreciate the long-ranging nature of Bienen’s goals.

“I think the biggest accomplishment of President Bienen was setting up Northwestern to succeed in the long-run,” Webber said, adding that Bienen helped to secure Northwestern’s long-term wellbeing “through his work fundraising and increasing our endowment, as well as his work to solidify Northwestern as a premier research institution.”

Extracurricular activities

When he is not running a top-tier university or serving as a consultant to the CIA, Bienen is either hitting the basketball court for an afternoon game with Northwestern’s basketball coach, former Princeton coach Bill Carmody, or getting his rackets together for squash matches with his coworkers. Some of Bienen’s fondest memories of Princeton include the squash matches he played with former Princeton President William Bowen GS ’58.

“My wife tells me to stick to squash because I’m not scoring on the [basketball] court,” Bienen said.

“Henry’s good taste in Chinese food was such that when he took candidates out for dinner after the job talks and asked for their suggestions on the menu, the meals weren’t always up to snuff,” White said.

After 14 years as president, Bienen said that he thought it was time for Northwestern to have a new and fresh perspective. Bienen’s future plans remain uncertain. At 68, he noted that, if he wants to take on one last job, now is the time to do it.

“I should maybe have one more roll of the dice,” he said.