UpDate - Vol. 15, No. 8, Page 1
October 19, 1995
Robert Denhardt is new Charles Messick Professor

     There's really no longer any practical reason not to have a purer
form of democracy than we have today. But, do we want one?"
     Robert B. Denhardt, the new Charles P. Messick Professor of
Public Administration in the College of Urban Affairs and Public
Policy, posed that question during his inaugural lecture Oct. 12 in
Clayton Hall.
     During his remarks, he explored how the practical details of
public management affect issues of democratic governance, including
the currently fashionable concept of reinventing government.
     "Instead of merely adopting the practices of business
management," Denhardt said, "the reinventing government movement seems
to have accepted a wide variety of business values-the imperative of
self-interest, the value of competition, the sanctity of the market
and respect for the entrepreneurial spirit. If you check the index to
the bible of the movement, Reinventing Government, you'll find no
listing for justice or equity or participation, or even for leadership
or citizens or citizenship. I find it peculiar that governmental
reform could be discussed in such a substantial and influential way
without suggesting any active role whatever for citizens or
citizenship.
     "Public administrators should help extend democracy, both by
increasing civic involvement and by asserting the values of
democracy," Denhardt said. "In a world of active citizenship, public
officials will increasingly play more than a service delivery role.
They will conciliate, mediate and even adjudicate, which will require
new skills."
     Public administrators must take the lead in developing more
democratic forms of organization and management, and public
administration education must integrate theory and practice,
reflection and action, the university and the community, he said.
     A recent president of the American Society of Public
Administration (ASPA), Denhardt also was the founder and first
chairperson of ASPA's National Campaign for Public Service, an effort
to assert the dignity and worth of public service across the nation.
     He comes to Delaware from the University of Central Florida,
where he was the Walter and Betty Boardman Professor of Public
Administration and Environmental Policy. He has published 12 books,
including The Pursuit of Significance, In the Shadow of Organization
and Theories of Public Organization, and more than 50 articles.
     "For more than 25 years, Robert Denhardt has distinguished
himself as a leading scholar in the field of public administration,"
Alfred Zuck, executive director of the National Association of Schools
of Public Affairs and Administration, said. "His books and articles
have made a distinct impression on the field, and his firm commitment
to restoring a sense of vitality and respect to public service have
made him a leading spokesman for the dignity of public service."
     According to Patricia Florestano, Maryland secretary of higher
education and a past president of the ASPA "Not only does Bob
Denhardt's research make a serious and important contribution to the
study and analysis of public administration and management, but his
writing is among the clearest and most readable to be found in the
field today. He is one of the few academics who demonstrates a solid
understanding of the practitioner's world."
     "Bob Denhardt is very highly regarded in the profession. He was
elected a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration in
1992," Dan Rich, dean of the College of Urban Affairs and Public
Policy, said. "He's also known as a fine teacher whose books,
including Theories of Public Organization and Public Administration:
An Action Orientation, are used in public administration courses
programs throughout the world. And, Bob's work with agencies and
organizations in other states-especially Missouri and Florida-and
other countries, like Poland, The Netherlands and Canada, indicates
that he will be an outstanding contributor to the college's public
service mission."
     A native of Kentucky who received his doctorate from the
University of Kentucky, Denhardt taught at the universities of
Colorado, Missouri, Kansas and New Orleans before joining the faculty
at the University of Central Florida. He has held several major
administrative positions in these universities, most recently serving
as vice provost at the University of Missouri-Columbia. He was a
Fulbright Scholar in Australia in 1990.
     Denhardt also had been a consultant to various public and private
organizations, including public universities, primarily in the areas
of strategic planning and strategic management, organization
development, productivity improvement and total quality management. He
was appointed by Missouri Gov. Kit Bond to chair the Governor's
Advisory Council on Productivity and was re-appointed by Gov. John
Ashcroft.
     "Bob Denhardt's newest book, The Pursuit of Significance, draws
upon all his varied experiences," Jeffrey Raffel, director of UD's
Master of Public Administration Program, said. "It's already a modern
classic, helping us to understand what principles and practices
leading public administrators apply in their work."
     Denhardt said he was attracted to Delaware because of its
commitment to public service.
     "I've always had a strong commitment to public service and to an
active university role in the community, and the College of Urban
Affairs and Public Policy excels at combining education and public
service, theory and practice, and university and community. Indeed, I
believe that the college probably does this better than any other
school in the country," Denhardt said.
     "Of course, there were other factors as well. The University of
Delaware is a distinguished institution, with excellent students and
superb facilities. It just looks like a great place to be."
     The Charles P. Messick Professorship of Public Administration was
established in 1966 by the University to honor Charles Messick,
Delaware '07, who for more than 40 years devoted his talents to the
problems of governmental administration in the state of New Jersey and
the nation. Through his leadership and dedication the concept of, and
need for, a strong personnel system at all levels of government was
recognized as essential.
     Messick served three terms as president of the Civil Service
Assembly of the United States and Canada. He also was chairperson of
the board of trustees of the Bureau of Public Personnel
Administration, the forerunner of the International Personnel
Management Association. During his career he was a member of virtually
every important committee or commission studying public personnel
administration. He died in 1978 at age 95.