Chancellor: Looking Back Helps Us Look Forward

Chancellor Victor J. Boschini, Jr.

Brand new at Normandy High School in Cleveland, Ohio, I was a normal teen just trying not to get picked on by upperclassmen. I tried out for the tennis team. I served as treasurer of the sophomore class and as a student worker in the school office during the daily morning announcements. After school you might find me working at Marshall Field’s or hanging out with my four best friends — who have all remained my lifelong friends. I took driver’s ed and loved listening to Bob Dylan.

That year, two unforgettable teachers changed my life. Ms. Wagy and Mr. Peltz showed me that learning and leading through service are how you find your purpose in the world.

Back then, Texas Christian University was in the Southwest Conference and sporting lavender football uniforms (and like me, trying not to get pounded by the big guys). Since those days, through one spirited season after another, the University’s athletic programs have taken a powerful trajectory that has benefited TCU immeasurably. Our national visibility, student recruitment, endowment and academic profile have soared as people all over the country discovered what an amazing place TCU is. There is no doubt we will continue to thrive on the national stage, in academics and athletics.

Fulfilling a dream of two previous chancellors, TCU’s chapter of Phi Beta Kappa was established five decades ago, cementing our place among the elite 10 percent of American universities. Since achieving this hard-earned milestone, we’ve continued to build and strengthen academically with each incoming class. Our 75-year legacy of producing U.S. Fulbright scholars is just as inspiring, as these leaders go on to take Horned Frog values into positions of global prominence.

Courtesy of TCU Special Collections

I know it’s hard to even imagine a world without computers, so please be sure to read about the 50-year anniversary of the microprocessor, as told by TCU’s own John V. Roach, who played a pivotal role in bringing technology to the world. Today we offer popular majors in business information systems and data analytics systems, and the Honors College bearing Mr. Roach’s name has a new professor of game studies, whose work is also featured in this issue.

Nostalgia is a powerful reminder that today’s actions can create a ripple effect for the greater good of tomorrow. So keep leading on, Horned Frogs.

And to quote one of my favorite Bob Dylan songs from the ’70s:

May you build a ladder to the stars, 

And climb on every rung

May you stay forever young.

Enjoy the time travel, courtesy of TCU Magazine.