On February 17, 1981 the Executive Committee of the Senate of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges approved the establishment of a standing Committee of Presidents/ Chancellors Spouses to begin functioning immediately as a formally recognized part of the Association’s organization and structure. It is possible to underestimate the importance of this event, but to do so would be a grave mistake for the many reasons that you will find in these pages.

We also believe this event is a significant first in that the chief executives and other administrative officers who make up this Association have served notice that they consider the program areas represented by spouses to be highly important in the executive branch of these research-intensive public universities that comprise our membership.