The Simone Legacy

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A. Sue Weisler

Albert Simone on his first day as RIT president, Sept. 1, 1992.

“How you finish depends on how you start,” Albert J. Simone told the RIT community on Sept. 1, 1992.

It was his first day as president of RIT. He already knew a lot about the university. Appointed by the Board of Trustees in May, Simone had put the succeeding months and his considerable energy into learning about RIT.

He was impressed with what he had learned. “We should be proud,” he told the audience, and explained why by giving insightful examples.

He compared RIT to a powerful train, and he was prepared for an exhilarating ride ahead.

“ The train is moving fast and in the right direction,” he said. “It can only pick up speed and close the gap for a winning finish in the days ahead.

“ Together with all of you I want to be at the finish line several years hence. At that time, there will be clouds of dust in our wake, bright sunshine a breath away, and– low and behold – a new track and another even more challenging finish line just in sight on the horizon.”

On June 30, Simone will relinquish the engineer’s seat of the powerful RIT locomotive. In this issue of the magazine, we take a look at the track that’s been laid and the milestones of the Simone years, and share his vision for the journey ahead.