2009 Fall Convocation Speech - Cofrin Gift
Speech Segments
‘Cofrin Gift’ Video Transcript
I have a few comments to make about Dr. David Cofrin. And many of you know who Dr. Cofrin is. If you’ve been on this campus for just a few minutes you are familiar with the name because there are many ways in which we have memorialized the Cofrin family, including Dr. Cofrin himself.
Dr Cofrin recently passed away. Shortly, and I mean shortly, before he did die, he transmitted to us a large gift. That’s not the money, that’s not anything to do with his will, it was a gift he wanted to provide us for some specific things and he wanted to do that before he passed away. Another great gesture of generosity on the part of Dr. David Cofrin.
What I’m saddened by is not his loss specifically, although I am saddened by that, I think we all are. He was just a great asset and a great friend to both this University in general and to many of the individuals here in this room.
I did not get to meet him, and people like David Cofrin do not come around very often for universities. So as we start this semester, I want us to keep in mind the generosity of David Cofrin.
We have some work to do. He has provided us with a gift that provides us with some really interesting and, I think, wonderful opportunities. I have waited until now so that I can meet with University Committee, which I will do, I think it is tomorrow, and the Faculty Senate members are back on campus. There are some issues associated, not issues, there are some opportunities associated with his gift that I want to have a discussion with University Committee and probably the Faculty Senate after that.
We’ve had this gift for a few weeks now but I have held off on making a public announcement about it until there are some details I can work through particularly with faculty and with some programs. But it is a wonderful gift and another example of the generosity of David Cofrin.