"Dr. Flack was a man of strong moral character. He had high ethical standards and he had a strong faith in God-attributes which never failed him, a legacy of strength for all of us."
- Thomas Palmer, vice chair of WSU's Board of Trustees and vice president and general counsel, The Mead Corporation

"The men and women of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base are deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. Harley E. Flack. His personal contribution to the community will long be remembered. A consummate gentleman of courage and vision, he was instrumental in strengthening the many-faceted, historic linkage between Wright-Patterson and Wright State University."
- Jerome Sutton, executive director of the Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base

"I remember Harley walking the campus-talking to the students about their studies, their campus life, their plans and dreams for the future. I think those were his happiest moments."
- Daniel W. Duval, chair of WSU's Board of Trustees and president and chief executive officer, Robbins & Myers, Inc

"He was a fine gentleman. It's very sad he was taken in the prime of his life."
- Fairborn Mayor Hugh Keller

"I think he had a lot more impact on the surrounding communities than people were aware. He left his mark."
- John Dalton, executive director, Fairborn Area Chamber of Commerce

President Harley E. Flack

Dr. Harley E. Flack lived his "Three C Agenda" - competence, collaboration and caring.

At his inauguration as Wright State University's fourth president, Dr. Flack challenged us to document our competence by the success of our students. He challenged us to establish strategic collaborations, alliances that would be critical to the university's success. And finally, he challenged us to take a leadership role in fostering societal caring. Dr. Flack said caring "is a major in which American higher education has minored or ignored."

A caring and compassionate man, Dr. Flack lived his life based on a belief that leaders are of strong moral character who have high ethical standards. He leaves the university a great legacy.

• He led the successful effort to secure state funding for educational services to support students with disabilities.
• He played a key role in creating the Dayton Area Graduate Studies Institute (DAGSI), which provides advanced engineering education and research in cooperation with the University of Dayton, the Air Force Institute of Technology, The Ohio State University and the University of Cincinnati. The Ohio Legislature called DAGSI a model of collaboration for public higher education.
• He initiated a campus climate program designed to ensure that all of us - regardless of our race, nationality, gender or religious beliefs ‹ are given the same opportunity to feel at home and welcome at Wright State.
• The Board of Trustees approved Vision 2020, fulfilling a promise he made during his inauguration to map out the universityıs future.
• He won approval of a doctoral degree in engineering at a politically sensitive time when the state was slashing such programs, helping to preserve the Air Force Institute of Technology and enhancing DAGSI.
• Under his leadership, the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools reaccredited Wright State's program for 10 years, the longest term possible.
• He initiated the Student Servant Leadership Development Program to meet the growing societal need to become more focused on service to the community.
• He led the effort to establish the Information Technology Research Institute, an academic/industrial research and development collaborative with the Ohio Board of Regents and the Miami Valley Economic Development Coalition.
• He was instrumental in creating the Miami Valley Higher Education Coalition (MVHEC) with the presidents of the University of Dayton, Sinclair Community College and Central State University. MVHEC provides collaborative partnerships to the community by coordinating its service activities with school districts, industry, and not-for-profit organizations.
• The Board of Trustees approved the first University Ethics Statement and established a permanent committee on institutional integrity. Both were initiatives of Dr. Flack.
• With Dr. Flack's full support, the university established its first Faculty Senate, giving the faculty a more significant voice in university governance.
• He established the Enrollment Planning Council to address student retention issues and reverse a six-year decline in enrollment. Wright State reported a 2.1 percent enrollment increase in the fall of 1997 while enrollments declined an average of 1.5 percent at the other public universities.

Dr. Harley E. Flack will be remembered as a president who cared about his students, his faculty, his staff and his university. Dr. Flack will be remembered as a man of faith. He will be missed.