The time is right: Price sees early retirement as an opportunity for reflection
Ombudsman and former Trustee Board secretary served under six presidents and 10 provosts during 37-year career

BY RAY DELGADO

Lowell Price came to Stanford in 1963 as a wide-eyed freshman and never left. Now he's a "veritable institution," according to President John Hennessy.

But Price's 37-year career at the Farm soon will come to a close. On April 15, he sets off on the path of early retirement to pursue other interests. (He's open to any suggestions, he quipped.)

Price said that during his one-year tenure as ombudsman he observed that the university culture does not view conflict as a normal and natural act. "There’s something awry if people are in conflict," he said. Photo: L.A. Cicero

Having served as university ombudsperson since last April and secretary to the Board of Trustees and senior associate provost for university governance for nine years prior to that, Price will take with him a detailed understanding of the inner workings of the university.

"His dedication and loyalty to the mission and people of Stanford have been exemplary and will continue to have an impact long after he retires," Hennessy said. "All of us are thankful for his service and wish him the very best as he moves on to what I know will be an exciting and eventful chapter of his life."

Isaac Stein, chair of the Board of Trustees, said he admired Price for his warm personality and sense of diplomacy. "He provided a continuity for the board through a number of board chairs, and it was a privilege for me to work with him," Stein said. "Lowell was selfless in his approach to issues and I think he inspired all of those around him to do the same."

LaDoris Cordell, vice provost for campus relations, said, "Lowell was a wonderful ombudsman for the university and I have received very positive feedback from some individuals who utilized his services." The university is conducting an internal search for a replacement and could have a new ombudsperson appointed by early May, she said.

Price recently sat down with Stanford Report writer Ray Delgado to reflect on four decades spent at the university and mull over his plans for the future.

Q. You came to Stanford more than 40 years ago as a student and never left. You've worked under six of the university's 10 presidents and 10 of its 12 provosts. Why have you decided that it's now time to go?

A. My wife, Carol, and I have been a part of the Stanford community for a very long time. She was an undergraduate here, I was an undergraduate here; that's how we met. And we've enjoyed it enormously. We have a lot of good friends in the community and we consider ourselves to be very fortunate to be part of the Stanford community. She worked at Stanford 30 years, the last part with the Overseas Studies Program. I've been here 37 years. So if you add our experience together, we've been here two-thirds of a century working at the university. And now what we want is a period of reflection, a time of discernment. We have two great kids and we're pretty close to them, and we're interested in having some time to do some things that are yet unknown.

Q. I know you flirted with the idea of retiring last year but then decided to accept the ombudsman position. You're leaving that role just one day shy of a full year. Were you happy with the position?

A. Oh yeah. This is a fabulous job. It has been a wonderful alignment of my interests in making a difference in the Stanford community and what people seem to need. I've seen 300 people -- I call them visitors -- in this office, and I have learned a great deal from each of them. And I hope I've been of some use to them. To them I would like to say thank you for the trust and confidence you've placed in me.

Q. Did serving as the ombudsman give you an insight into any particular issues that lay heavy on the hearts of members of the university community?

A. Of the people I've seen this year, about 60 percent are staff people, about 25 percent are students and about 15 percent are faculty, and, of course, the issues vary depending on the person's particular status in the university. Of the students, the majority are graduate students. I think Stanford has been through a time of some stress, if I speak now about staff people. And we've been through lots of budget reductions, and we don't have as much depth on the bench as we once had. We're getting a little thin. And, of course, everybody knows that the current computing systems are difficult for people. I hope very much we'll be able to put that in order soon. That's an issue that comes up frequently.

Another issue more generally that I grapple with is that there's something in the Stanford culture, at least with the people I've seen, that says that conflict is not exactly a natural act. There's something awry if people are in conflict. And as I've learned more about the nature of conflict situations and about my work in this role, I no longer have that view. I think, in fact, that conflict, disagreement and rubbing up against the edges of other people is perfectly normal and natural. One of the problems is most of us don't have very good skills in dealing with such a situation. So I find in the work that I've done that the two most useful predictors of a successful outcome are, first of all, how soon I get to get involved in a problem. If it's early on, chance of success is greater. And secondly, whether or not the individual is willing to directly deal with the person or persons with whom they're in conflict.

Q. How difficult was the decision to leave?

A. Tough. Really, really hard. I love to work. I buy the idea that work is love manifested. The tough part for me is that I'm very devoted here and I'm very experienced here and have lots of good friends. And my feeling is that the time has come for me to take the risk of expanding somewhat. I always expect to be part of the Stanford family. I can hardly wait to get myself over to Arrillaga [Alumni Center] and volunteer to do things for the university. There are just a lot of other things I'd like to do as well that I haven't had a chance to do.

Q. What are some of the differences between the presidents you've worked for, and do you have a favorite?

A. I would never presume to have a favorite among Stanford's presidents. (laughs)

Q. Very diplomatic.

A. They are all wonderful people. What I would say about Stanford's presidents, and I would also say this about Stanford's provosts, is that the university has been enormously fortunate in that we've had the right people for the right time. I'm fully convinced of that because I worked with lots of them. And there's something about the environment that seems to bring out of our faculty, in particular, people who are good leaders for the time that we're in.

Q. You served as secretary to the Board of Trustees for nine years. Care to share any memories of working with the board?

A. Yes, an observation. When I left that role, I was truly astounded and grateful for the following reflection. I've worked with a lot of trustees. They are superbly devoted to Stanford and to the idea of Stanford -- what Stanford can be. They make an enormously valuable contribution, and they are willing to put their shoulders to the wheel and do what needs to be done, time and time again.

Q. What will you miss most about Stanford?

A. I'll miss a whole lot of things, not being directly involved in the future as I have in the past. I'll miss mostly the interaction with lots of incredibly smart, devoted faculty, students, staff, especially the people with whom I've worked most closely.

Q. What will you miss the least?

A. That work takes all day, every day and sometimes longer.

Q. What would you do differently at Stanford if you could turn back the clock?

A. I don't mean to avoid the question, but I can't think of anything that I would have done differently. My philosophy of life and work is that it's a magnificent unfolding and every day presents opportunities and challenges and things to put right. I've been very fortunate to have been in the central administration a long time where what that meant for me was that I got to work with lots of people identifying problems and solving problems.

Q. How has the staff changed over your four decades here?

A. I think it has changed in the sense that it's more specialized than it once was. It has changed in response to what's going on in the world. For example, when I first came to work here, I started as an administrative assistant who basically was a financial analyst who didn't have any background in finance. I was an English major, but I made the case when I was interviewed that said they needed someone to explain the numbers. I was greatly astounded that I got hired when I finished my degree. It was only six months later that I learned that I was the only candidate for the job, so that put a certain perspective on that. I guess the point I'm trying to make about that is that I think now people are more specialized. I think competition to work at Stanford has increased. Stanford has gone from a really excellent place to a truly stunning, spectacular university that's an international treasure. And so there are more people who are eager to work here under those circumstances.

Q. What will you do with your free time now that you won't be reporting for work? What are your hobbies?

A. I don't have a clue, and if there's anybody out there who has ideas for me, I would welcome them. This is a time when Carol and I have decided to have this time of reflection and discernment and also be open to what happens. What I mean by that is that I don't mean that my deciding to take early retirement now is a decision not to work for money again. I think that's a possibility. Who knows? The future is long if we're lucky, and lots of things happen. In terms of what I will do with my time, I have a long list of ideas and thoughts. What I basically discovered about myself is that while I'm working the way I'm working, as intensely as I'm working, I can't figure that out.

Q. What kind of connection will you maintain with Stanford? Will you still live on campus?

A. Oh yes, we'll stay on the campus. We've lived on the campus since our kids were babies and went to Bing Nursery School. We love living here. We'll stay where we are. I'll, of course, be a part of Stanford's family, as will Carol. As I said earlier, I'm eager to seek out volunteer opportunities.

Q. So now that you're almost off the university payroll, are there any stories you wish to share about your time on the Board of Trustees or working with various administrations? You must have encountered some interesting personalities in your time.

A. (Long pause) I can think of one thing; it wasn't with the trustees. Once upon a time early in my career, I was doing financial work, and for an English major, that was tough. I was really trying to make my reputation and do very, very good work. And there was a thing called a budget group, and I was to present some numbers. I did that and someone in the room said, "You know, that's really the dumbest presentation I've ever heard." And I burst into tears. I absolutely, completely lost it, and I was so embarrassed and so ashamed of myself, all I could do was get home that night. And the point of the story is that the next day, several people who had been in the room came by my office to say, "So, how are you, what's happening, everything at home OK?" I think that's a great testimony about caring, about Stanford people and understanding that sometimes we have bad days as well as good days. I always remember that situation, first because I was so embarrassed, but also because such good things came out of it in terms of people being willing to reach out to me and make sure I was OK.=

Q. Is there any last message or farewell that you want to give to the Stanford community, even though you'll still be connected to it after you leave?

A. I congratulate the people who are here, the staff who work here, the faculty who teach and do research and the students who learn here. It's a magnificent community. Stanford is a vibrant, interactive community and people who choose to be here have made a wise choice.