James E. Brooks - The Library Namesake

James E. Brooks - President, Central Washington University, 1961-1978

After earning his master’s and Ph.D. degrees in geography at the UW, James Brooks taught at Central Washington University, Eastern Washington University, and Portland State University—where he was assistant to the president—before becoming president of Central Washington University, where he had earned his B.A. After stepping down as president, he continued on the faculty until 1994, except for two years as interim president at Yakima Valley College. Last year, Central honored Brooks by naming its library—built during his presidency—the James E. Brooks Library.

	James Brooks at the dedication of the university library named in his honor. Photo byGreg Kummer.

What surprised you most during the first year of your presidency?

I knew most of the circumstances at Central. But I was a bit surprised at how much my focus on the academic aspects, such as strengthening the arts and sciences, could be diverted to other pressing issues. An example: our campus consisted of 100 acres in a scattered, disjointed pattern located in a mostly residential area. It took years to consolidate and increase the campus to 350 acres.

What was the most satisfying aspect of your presidency?

I believe the greatest pleasure for any president is having her/his institution accomplish a great deal over time. When you have had continued support of trustees, faculty, students and the general public, and good planning has showed results as excel-lent projects and programs are in place, is there any better satisfaction for a president?

What was the most challenging issue you had to address?

Without a doubt, it was developing an excellent faculty, one that truly cared for students, and improving our academic offerings as we grew rapidly in enrollment.

Did your UW education help prepare you for leadership?

Leadership requires confidence in yourself. The members of the Geography Department helped me develop that. I was given encouragement, guidance, and positive reinforcement on many occasions. Yes, I benefited from taking classes across campus, my professors were good teachers, and I enjoyed my fellow graduate students, but the help I was given personally was very important in my life and career.

Published in Autumn 2004 in the UW A&S, Leaders in Higher Education. Online.