Walter K. Gordon believes he made a difference when he served as provost of Rutgers-Camden from 1981 to 1997. A 667-seat theater was also built, and was named for Gordon. The building stage was a hectic period, but it was a very exciting time that followed a long dry season when the campus had been somewhat neglected, Gordon says.
Nothing shows progress as much as brick and mortar.
The addition of the dormitories sparked a major change in campus life, transforming Rutgers from primarily a commuter school to one with a campus atmosphere, complete with fraternities, sororities and student apartments, he adds. Aside from the buildings, Gordon also finds a vast change in the student body. He has noticed a sharp decline in the degree of social activism, and he finds students to be less worried about the world and more concerned about how they will earn a living. Students have become more obsessed about joining the world than fighting it, he says. Gordon, who was dean of the Arts and Sciences College, rose through the ranks, beginning as a faculty member in the English department.