LOUISVILLE, Ky. — David Roselle, the former president of the University of Kentucky, has passed away.
Roselle was the university’s ninth president, serving in the role from 1987 until 1989.
After leaving Kentucky, Roselle would go on to serve as president at the University of Delaware for 17 years until he retired in 2007.
In 2005, UK opened a new residence hall on its north campus and named it after Roselle. Roselle Hall still houses students to this day.
Current university President Eli Capilouto released a statement on Roselle’s passing.
“I am saddened to hear of the passing of David Roselle, our university’s ninth president. He was an outstanding leader in higher education for several decades and had a profoundly important and positive impact on the University of Kentucky. Early in my first year at the University of Kentucky, we honored President Roselle with the naming of a residence hall on our north campus. He spent the day with us, reflecting on his time at UK. He was gracious and giving, with a quick wit and what was obviously a keen understanding of higher education as an incredibly successful academic administrator at institutions such as Virginia Tech, UK and the University of Delaware, where he was president for nearly 20 years. His tenure at UK in the late 1980s was marked by innovations in technology, the growth of our institution as a nationally recognized research institution and a steadfast commitment to integrity in all aspects of our university, even in the face at times of withering criticism. He never wavered in his belief in the mission of institutions like ours and the importance of always doing things the right way. My thoughts are with his family and all those impacted by the life of President David Roselle.”
Roselle was 84 years old.
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