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spring 2015 / 13
FEATURES
012
Board of
Trustees
restructured
BSC in 2012 edition
of “Colleges that
Change Lives”
Baseball, softball, men’s
lacrosse, football, women’s
soccer win championships
Panther Partnerships
Mentoring Program
launched
Sense of place
Between his childhood as the son
of a Marine and his own military
service, Krulak had visited more than
140 countries—but he had never
been to Alabama. That is, not until
he was invited to Birmingham’s
Veteran’s Day Parade in 2010.
“We fell in love with Birmingham
almost instantly,” Krulak said. “This
city has such a mystique and an
ethos that came from a community
that fought through hard times. The
people are so generous.”
Almost immediately after taking
the job at ’Southern, his sphere of
interest expanded well beyond the
Hilltop, into the community that
is inextricably part of the college’s
existence. He quickly took on a
touchy subject: a long-standing lack
of regional cooperation was holding
the city and its neighbors back, and
he stepped forward to address the
matter to fellow leaders in business,
education, and more. His efforts
garnered him the 2012 Community
Service Award from the Birmingham
chapter of the Daughters of the
American Revolution.
“He has plugged himself into this
community enough to address its
problems the only way he knows
how: honestly,” The Birmingham
News wrote. “Which is more than
we can say for many leaders who
have been in town far longer.”
He also focused on renewing the
longstanding partnership between
Birmingham-Southern and the
City of Birmingham. He and
Mayor William Bell hold regular
meetings and worked together to
organize BSC’s April 2013 march
in commemoration of the 50th
anniversary of Birmingham’s pivotal
role in the civil rights movement
(photo below). Mayor Bell asked
him to write the forward for the
city’s upcoming book on the
anniversary of the movement, and
BSC has teamed up with the city
and with Miles College to put in
Birmingham’s pending bid for a
presidential debate.
“Birmingham has been lucky to
have Gen. Krulak,” Bell said. “I feel
fortunate to count him as a partner
in our city’s revitalization, and as
a friend, and I’m continuously
inspired by his energy and