Chang-Lin Tien: The Chancellor & The Leader

"He had the intellectual experience to take on any job. He was just an extremely talented person who had a deep understanding of what the university world was. He was a leader in his own special way. Chang-Lin was a leader whether or not he was 6'4" tall. Everyone attended to what he had to say, and he said it well, and it was clearly from the heart, and clearly with real intellectual content behind it.

I believe that for great universities like UC Berkeley, there is a need to be sure that they’re led by people who really understand the value of the academic world, academic life, and have contributed in their own right to that. You really want people who understand what it means to make serious intellectual contributions, and that doesn’t mean you have to be a scientist. You can be a historian, or what have you. You have to be someone who's had the experience of really making a contribution to their particular intellectual field so that you can really appreciate the nature of the academic world. Chang-Lin certainly distinguished himself in that sense."

Richard Atkinson
President, 1995-2003
University of California

"It's very hard to be in the job of chancellor. It's a lonely job. You're the one that makes the decisions. You're the one that everybody ultimately blames, and that's why people can't stay in these jobs for years and years. Every decision you make, some people like, some people don't. He never worried about, 'Everybody has to like me.' People just really liked him. They trusted him. He was just this great ambassador."

John F. Cummins
Associate Chancellor - Chief of Staff
University of California, Berkeley

"There was a reference to the idea that there's going to be a lot of heat on this issue or that issue, personal heat in taking this position or that, and he reminded us that his specialty in engineering was heat transfer. There were a lot of issues that came up during that time where he showed very strong leadership, and there was the notion that he'd be getting a lot of heat for the position that he takes. He had an ability to in some way disarm people and reduce the heat, so to speak.

As a leader he was always very clear about his values and a real commitment to excellence. Excellence is achieved by decisions that are made on a daily basis. He said you had to be thinking excellence all the time. That was something that I learned from him that's been really important to me.

You knew that when you got into a meeting with him, he had done his homework and he was well prepared. You had better not come into a cabinet meeting not being prepared because that was just unacceptable. He didn't get angry very often, but every now and then he could, and not in a vicious kind of way, but just in a way that says, 'You really should have taken care of it, and you didn't.'

He was a tough taskmaster. He expected results, and he expected results right away on a whole range of things. I think we are all the better for it. He didn't like it when people seemed to just take their time doing these things, as opposed to, 'Let's get it done now.' The determination to achieve goals was a very important aspect of who he was. He valued the team that he had both in his administration and also staff around the campus.

Chang-Lin appointed four vice chancellors. Carol Christ is a white female. Dan Mote, university relations, a white male. Genaro Padilla, student affairs, is Latino/Chicano. I’m African American. Of the four people he appointed as vice chancellor, three of us are university presidents now. The excellence he insisted on, also achieving the diversity he had in mind, the evidence of that is not just what he did there and what he brought in. What those folks have done since then is the greatest testament to him as a leader and the values he held. 

We had a lot of discussions that he initiated about whether or not he should retire. It wasn't a question for us, because we all said, 'No, no, no. We don't want you to retire.' It was a question for him, where he was in his career, where the institution was, his not wanting to leave the institution in a bad place, but thinking he was ready to do something else. It just had to do with a lot of consideration on his part about what was the right thing to do. He essentially made the decision in a situation where the university was in its best position ever. You're talking about going out on top."

Horace Mitchell
President
California State University, Bakersfield

"He did everything well. What I think is that when he decided to become an administrator, he decided to go all out to do it. He was one who learned to grow his responsibilities. I think he learned from every experience.

One has to be concerned about solving problems. It's a real privilege to be a university administrator. You're constantly learning something new. You're always working with people who know more about something than you do. [There is] much more consensus [than in a corporation]. It's not hierarchical. You have to deal with everybody from young students to the state legislature, to distinguished faculty.

He was very sensitive to the needs of the faculty, having grown up on the faculty. He was a good intellectual cheerleader. I used to say chancellors need to be born optimists. They have to be concerned with people’s morale, set high expectations.

His leadership whenever there was a major crisis at Berkeley, he was on the scene. I remember the time when there was a fire on the campus, he was there. When there were shootings at the hotel, he was there to deal with the problem. He was a hands-on administrator, a walk-around administrator. On the first day of school, be out there with the students."

Jack Peltason
President, 1992-1995
University of California

"As the chancellor of UC Berkeley, his personal style set the tone for the campus. His warmth and high visibility also helped make him a popular and effective administrator. Of the hundreds of Berkeley graduates with whom I have spoken, none has ever expressed anything but love and respect for Chancellor Tien. He made Berkeley a better institution, and he helped countless students fulfill their dreams. His achievements in promoting excellence and diversity continue to inspire us all. His legacy is a tremendous source of pride not only for members of our Asian American community, but for all those fortunate enough to have had their lives touched by him.

Dr. Tien led by example. He was humble and selfless, with kindness in his heart for everyone. He felt a particular responsibility to help the disadvantaged and underprivileged. Throughout his career, he worked tirelessly to advance education at all levels, reaching all areas of the world. He demonstrated a unique talent for bringing people and nations together. He especially helped to strengthen ties between Asia and the United States, and among Asian nations.

Dr. Tien's devotion never faltered, his energy never flagged, and he never stopped believing in the possibility of creating a better future. He was a most admired colleague and a role model for us all."

Henry T. Yang
Chancellor
University of California, Santa Barbara

"What's not quite recognized is his incredible talent in so many different areas. He was a fantastic teacher. He was truly a famous, distinguished researcher and scientist. He was a wonderful leader, a wonderful person. He was so dedicated.

He was a fantastic teacher. He was spectacular with graduate students. They loved him. They dedicated their work to him. The achievement isn’t only his own research, but the research of his students. After his death, there was a gathering that was attended by a long list of students who presented their experiences, their research that they were now doing was just astounding, a list of accomplishments by the people that worked with him. They were truly inspired by him.

He was a wonderful leader, a wonderful person at training graduate students, but he was brilliant with undergraduates. He was very concerned about students and what was in their best interest. Students quickly recognize someone who's really dedicated to doing a great job."

Richard Atkinson
President, 1995-2003
University of California

"He was very interested in students. He was totally committed to the graduate students who worked with him. There are many instances in which he would fly in from China, arrive at 11:30 at night, and go to his lab and meet with his graduate students. That happened more than once. I think he could get by on about four hours of sleep a night. And he had great relationships with the student body and the student officers."

Horace Mitchell
President
California State University, Bakersfield

"Chang-Lin saw himself first as a teacher and scholar. He loved his students--all of them. He would often stroll to Sproul Plaza to greet them, and he was famous for bringing cookies to those studying late in the library. He also sought to lead in his profession. In 1959, he came to Berkeley. He quickly rose to the top ranks on campus and on the national scene and, remarkably, he preserved his academic reputation at the highest levels throughout his extraordinary administrative service. His expertise in thermal science was often called upon by governments around the world--he helped solve problems with the Space Shuttle's insulating tiles and with the nuclear reactor meltdown at Three Mile Island; his work on "superinsulation" was used in the design of magnetically levitated trains in Japan. Being a distinguished scholar and teacher while serving as chancellor was a role that was both satisfying and essential to him."

C.D. "Dan" Mote Jr.
President
University of Maryland, College Park

"What's not quite recognized is his incredible talent in so many different areas. He was a fantastic teacher. He was truly a famous, distinguished researcher and scientist. He was a wonderful leader, a wonderful person. He was so dedicated.

"He did a fabulous job as chancellor at Berkeley. His deep involvement with the students, his belief that the university was important to the state of California, that the university made it possible for him to pursue a remarkable career in science -- a whole set of factors. He was deeply committed to the university.

He exhibited [his leadership potential] the day he walked onto the Berkeley campus. With that first year, had already established himself as a brilliant researcher, a brilliant teacher.

I'll never forget the stories about families bringing their children to the university for the first time. They're moving in just shortly before school starts, and Chang-Lin is out there greeting them and helping them move their bags into the dormitory rooms."

Richard Atkinson
President, 1995-2003
University of California

"His role with students is astounding. There are all kinds of stories about his working here until 1 in the morning, but also there was a shuttle bus that would pick students up from the library. It was one of our safety measures and would do a route around the campus. If he saw students standing there, even if it's 1 o'clock in the morning, he'd tell them to get in his car and give them a ride.

Just that alone, or taking cookies to the library in finals week when people were studying, dead week, getting ready for finals, reassuring students. He was a cult figure around here with students. Everybody wanted their picture taken with him, and they could tell that he genuinely cared.

He also initiated a big change, which was to welcome students to the campus. When students were moving in, he would be over at the dorms, meeting the parents, carrying the luggage. It was genuine. He loved students and really cared about them and it was just infectious and spread like wildfire. That’s one of these incredible attributes."

John F. Cummins
Associate Chancellor - Chief of Staff
University of California, Berkeley

"One of the regular events we had to start the academic year was the chancellor's reception for new students. He and Mrs. Tien would stand and greet every single new student as they came up the steps in the Martin Luther King Student Union. Not every single one [of the 3,000] was there, but there was the potential. This was something a very high percentage of students did. The point is that they were there.

One of us would be there, would meet the student first, and then introduce the student to Chancellor and Mrs. Tien. One year, as is customary, [students] go into the ballroom after they meet the chancellor, and there are refreshments. Toward the end of the evening, there's a dance. At this one instance, as he finished up meeting all the students, the chancellor went in where the students were dancing and he got in the middle of them and started dancing. The students started saying, 'Go chancellor, go chancellor.' He was absolutely enjoying it. He was a person, he got in the middle of it, and just shared that time with those students.

In addition to being a top scholar, an educator and academic leader, he was also a very strong sports fan. He really enjoyed our Cal athletics teams. There were many times when he and I would be down for a football game and he's jumping in the air as they scored a touchdown.

There was actually a time when in basketball we beat UCLA for the first time in 10 years – this was several years ago – he was pretty excited. They actually took him out, the students did, the fans, on their shoulders. You just don’t get this level of realness from so many chancellors and persons who believe you’ve got to stay in a certain mold.

He was a person of great academic ability, a person of integrity, a person who cared about everybody – the students, the faculty, the staff at the university. He was a person who enjoyed being in the university environment and being a leader who participated fully in the all of the activities of the university.

While he had been successful in fundraising, what he said was that he always made it clear that people were not giving to him, or giving because he was chancellor, but that their commitment was to Berkeley, and they were giving to make Berkeley what it could become. One of the things he always said, 'The state gives us resources for this to be a good university. It does not give us sufficient resources to be a great university.' He would say the margin of difference for greatness comes through the generosity of the university alumni, friends and supporters. 'Why should I be giving money to a public university?' We wanted to be great."

Horace Mitchell
President
California State University, Bakersfield

"I remember walking across the campus with him, and how everybody came to talk to him. He and his wife, they were everywhere. He was devoted to Berkeley. He interacted with everybody. He helped change the tone of the Berkeley campus. He was available to students, community leaders, faculty. It was a more civil, friendlier place. He knew everybody, was known by a lot of people. He was very proud of and devoted to Berkeley, and very knowledgeable about it."

Jack Peltason
President, 1992-1995
University of California

"When he was absent at university events, there was a pervading sense of things being incomplete. And when he did appear, he managed to make those present feel that they were where they wanted to be."

Orville Schell
Dean, the Graduate School of Journalism
University of California, Berkeley

"As the chancellor of UC Berkeley, his personal style set the tone for the campus. His warmth and high visibility also helped make him a popular and effective administrator. Of the hundreds of Berkeley graduates with whom I have spoken, none has ever expressed anything but love and respect for Chancellor Tien. He made Berkeley a better institution, and he helped countless students fulfill their dreams. His achievements in promoting excellence and diversity continue to inspire us all. His legacy is a tremendous source of pride not only for members of our Asian American community, but for all those fortunate enough to have had their lives touched by him.

Dr. Tien led by example. He was humble and selfless, with kindness in his heart for everyone. He felt a particular responsibility to help the disadvantaged and underprivileged. Throughout his career, he worked tirelessly to advance education at all levels, reaching all areas of the world. He demonstrated a unique talent for bringing people and nations together. He especially helped to strengthen ties between Asia and the United States, and among Asian nations.

Dr. Tien's devotion never faltered, his energy never flagged, and he never stopped believing in the possibility of creating a better future. He was a most admired colleague and a role model for us all."

Henry T. Yang
Chancellor
University of California, Santa Barbara

"Chang-Lin was really working to restore some of the internal equanimity at Berkeley, which I think had deteriorated to some extent. I think he was very successful at that. He was of course a great academic scholar in engineering. He had a great many accomplishments. He was someone who had held leadership positions in a variety of areas, a variety of places, and was extremely well respected by the faculty and the students and by his colleagues in the administration, both within the Berkeley campus and among the other campuses."

Charles Young
Chancellor, 1968-1997
University of California, Los Angeles

"I thought most chancellors viewed him as being very innovative and were often steps behind him as he proceeded to do things that needed to be done in the University of California. He was very vigorous in his defense of the university's policies. He took on some formidable forces."

Richard Atkinson 
President, 1995-2003 
University of California 

"We went through very difficult budget cuts. His greatest contribution to the campus may well be his unbelievable ability to be optimistic. I think there was only once or twice that I ever saw him be a little bit down and that was only with me. You never see that in the public eye. He had one personality, and that was upbeat, optimistic, we can solve issues, etc. Obviously the optimism was very, very important. It was the way he was the public face of the institution at a time when it was extremely difficult, when we went through major, major budget cuts. If you were a pessimist in an environment like that, the power of a leader to communicate their feelings and infuse the organization is really a big deal. That was a very, very significant accomplishment, getting people to know we're going to be as good as ever, there wasn't any question about that, we need your help. He was a great fundraiser.

There was a huge budget problem. We had these crises. It would have to do with your way of thinking. On the budget, we lost a number of faculty to early retirement. He would look on that as an opportunity to bring new people, really creative people. He was great at doing that. He was just a true champion of the campus."

John F. Cummins 
Associate Chancellor - Chief of Staff 
University of California, Berkeley 

"We were having some major budget issues, reductions in state support. A primary concern for Chancellor Tien was that we make sure we preserve the university's academic programs. To achieve that, he actually made deeper cuts in other areas of the university. In anticipation of the [big cuts], the university was considering a voluntary early retirement incentive program with some very good incentives for faculty and staff to retire. Chancellor Tien was very concerned that this would devastate the Berkeley faculty so he took a very strong stance that at Berkeley there needed to be a different system than that, and essentially put his job on the line saying, 'I can’t agree to this.' He got a different arrangement than the rest of the campuses, which is practically unheard of.

He had initiated a $1 billion dollar campaign fundraising campaign, which at the time was the largest ever in American higher education. When he heard that Stanford was going to have a $1 billion fundraising campaign, he said that ours should be $1.1 billion. There's a certain competitiveness to him. Certainly this rivalry with Stanford was a rivalry around excellence. He valued that. That particular campaign ended at $1.4 billion, six months ahead of schedule."

Horace Mitchell 
President 
California State University, Bakersfield 

"This was in his first year and he was like an acting assistant professor. He was teaching, there were a lot of complaints about how people couldn't understand him in his classes. And the next year, he made fundamental changes to how he taught, which included every night before every lecture being in the classroom with Di-Hwa, his wife, rehearsing the lecture, writing things on the board, so that by the end of that year he received the outstanding teacher award. I mean, if there's anything that exemplifies who he was, that's a very good example.

He had to deal with his language issues when he was chancellor too, where did people understand what he was saying. I was hearing complaints that people were having a hard time. I said, 'Well, here's an option. People have been asking questions, there is a person that can do this.' He said no, that Henry Kissinger has an accent, etc., that he just thought that, no, he didn’t have to do that. We were careful in terms of prepared speeches, but in a way it was interesting, because people respond at the emotional level too. It's not just exactly what you're saying. The emotional level, that’s where he was astounding."

John F. Cummins 
Associate Chancellor - Chief of Staff 
University of California, Berkeley 

Photo of Chang-Lin Tien by John Blaustein, courtesy UC Berkeley