Chancellor of NUI to step down

THE chancellor of the National University of Ireland (NUI), Dr T.K. (Ken) Whitaker, has indicated his intention to step down after 20 years. He plans to resign before his 80th birthday.

The NUI chancellor announced his decision at a meeting of the NUI senate in Dublin yesterday. Some senators appealed to Dr Whitaker to reconsider.

Dr Whitaker, became NUI chancellor in 1976, succeeding Eamon de Valera, who held the post for 54 years. If he does resign, the post will be filled by an election in which NUI graduates are entitled to stand and all have a vote. However, because of the size of this electorate - more than 150,000 - there are proposals to have future chancellors elected by the 35 member NUI senate.

A former secretary of the Department of Finance in the 1950s and 1960s, Dr Whitaker was closely associated with the economic reforms introduced by Sean Lemass. He was governor of the Central Bank from 1968 until 1976. He also enjoyed the distinction of being nominated to the Seanad by governments of different political complexions, by Mr Jack Lynch in 1977, and by Dr Garret FitzGerald in 1981.

In 1984, he chaired a committee which reviewed the penal system. This year, he accepted a Government invitation to chair a committee which is reviewing the Constitution.