Senator Patrick J. Leahy will follow up his decades of service in the U.S. Senate with an appointment to the position of President’s Distinguished Fellow at the University of Vermont. Leahy will participate in campus activities with a special focus on the numerous program areas for which he was a tireless advocate for Vermont.
“My career, my family, and my most proud moments are all centered here, in Vermont,” said Leahy. “I look forward to continuing my service to the State of Vermont through projects with the University of Vermont which will house my official records.”
“I am delighted to welcome Senator Leahy as he joins our campus community this semester,” UVM President Suresh Garimella said. “The Senator’s counsel, time, and support to the university throughout his distinguished career of service to our state and nation have been transformative, and we are so very fortunate that he will share his experience and wisdom with our students, faculty, and staff in his new role.”
As President’s Distinguished Fellow, Leahy will contribute to UVM’s mission by participating in the launch of research, academic and engagement projects initiated through his efforts while in Congress. He will be available as an advisor to students and faculty members, a guest lecturer in classes and at public events, and a conduit between the university and organizations and communities in all corners of the state.
Sen. Leahy retired in January 2023 following eight terms in the U.S. Senate, where he represented Vermont for 48 years. He served as President Pro Tempore of the Senate twice, from 2012-2015 and from 2021-2023. He chaired three major committees—Appropriations, Judiciary, and Agriculture—during a tenure that began in 1975. He retired as the third-longest-serving senator in the nation’s history.
Sen. Leahy brings to UVM a long record of exemplary service to Vermont and support for its flagship land grant university. A native of Montpelier, he served multiple terms as State’s Attorney beginning in 1966. He went on to become the state’s longest-serving U.S. senator and the first Democrat elected to the Senate from Vermont.
Sen. Leahy’s legacy in the Senate is defined largely by his support for agriculture, environmental protection, preservation of nature, technology and health care – much of which benefited Vermont directly. His introduction of small-state minimums in budget bills effectively appropriated billions of dollars of additional funding to his home state.
During his time in the Senate, Sen. Leahy helped secure programmatic funding in areas where the university’s research strength matched closely with agency goals and the needs of Vermonters. Overall, his tremendous impact on the university has resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in funding through federal Appropriations Bills, research awards, and other support mechanisms championed by Leahy.
Numerous UVM initiatives have benefitted directly from Sen. Leahy’s advocacy in Washington including the Institute for Rural Partnerships at UVM, due to be unveiled later this year; the UVM Food Systems Research Center launched in 2019; and the Patrick and Marcelle Leahy Scholars Initiative, for doctoral and post-doctoral support in the Gund Institute for Environment. Each of these programs addresses the unique environmental challenges and rural characteristics of the state.
Last year, the university named its new Lake Champlain research vessel R/V Marcelle, in honor of Senator Leahy’s wife of 60 years.
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