University Press Book Award
James J. Duderstadt

James J. Duderstadt, president emeritus and professor of science and engineering, raises deep concerns about the dangers that college sports programs pose to higher education in “Intercollegiate Athletics and the American University, A University President’s Perspective,” winner of the 2002 University of Michigan Press Book Award.

He writes: “Big-time college sports have threatened the integrity and reputation of our universities, exposing us to the hypocrisy, corruption, and scandal that all too frequently accompany activities driven primarily by commercial value and public visibility.” Duderstadt offers controversial suggestions for bringing about change, including eliminating athletic scholarships, reducing coaches’ salaries and limiting the length of sports schedules.

Duderstadt was dean of the College of Engineering and provost and vice
president for academic affairs before serving as Michigan’s 11th president from 1988–96. He is the author of numerous articles and books, including “A University for the Twenty-first Century” (U-M Press 2000).

Duderstadt’s presidency was marked by an unwavering commitment to diversity and equality in higher education. In 1988, he launched the Michigan Mandate, a strategic plan to make U-M a leader in creating a multicultural community. Under his leadership, the University renewed its commitment to gender equity in 1994 with the Michigan Agenda for Women, a plan to promote the success of women of diverse backgrounds as students and employees. U-M also became the first public university to raise $1 billion in a fund-raising campaign and to earn Wall Street’s Aa1 credit rating.

Among the many boards he has served on or chaired are the National Science Board, the Executive Council of the National Academy of Engineering and the Big Ten Athletic Conference Board. A member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, he has received numerous awards, including the E. O. Lawrence Award, the Arthur Holly Compton Prize, the Reginald Wilson Award and the National Medal of Technology.