Secretary of the University

Assistant to the President

Associate Professor of Speech


President Harlan Hatcher has announced the appointment of Herbert 
W. Hildebrandt to the post of secretary of the University and assistant 
to the president.


Dr. Hildebrandt is an associate professor of speech. As secretary to the
 University, he will succeed Erich A.
Walter, who will retire at the end of
 July.


In his new post, Prof. Hildebrandt
 will serve as secretary to the Regents
 of the University and as a general administrative assistant to the president.


A member of the U-M faculty since 
1958, Professor Hildebrandt received 
the Bachelor of Arts degree from Wart
burg College, Iowa, in 1952, and
 earned his master's and doctoral degrees at the University of Wisconsin. 
He was an instructor in the U.S.
 Army, 1953-54, and served as a teaching assistant and instructor in speech 
at the University of Wisconsin. He 
joined the Michigan faculty as an instructor and was promoted to assist
ant professor in 1961 and to associate 
professor in 1964.

The Michigan Alumnus 19,  Jun1 1966

Memoir

Herbert W. Hildebrandt, Ph.D., professor of business administration in the
School of Business Administration, and professor of communication studies in
the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, retired from active faculty
status on May 31, 1998.

Professor Hildebrandt received his B.A. degree from Wartburg College in
1952 and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Wisconsin in
1955 and 1958, respectively. He joined the University of Michigan faculty in
1958 as an instructor in speech and was promoted to assistant professor in
1961, associate professor in 1965, and professor of speech in 1971. He
assumed a joint appointment as a lecturer in the School of Business
Administration in 1970 and was promoted to professor of business
administration in 1971. From 1966-70, he also served as secretary of the
university and assistant to the president.

Professor Hildebrandt's service to the University and his profession has been
extraordinary. He has served on numerous University-wide committees,
including having chaired the University Committee on Ceremonials, which
was charged with planning and carrying out the University's Sesquicentennial
celebration in 1967. An active participant in professional associations, he has
served as president of the Association of Business Communication and in
1994 received that organization's Outstanding Researcher Award.

Professor Hildebrandt has been an extremely dedicated and productive
researcher and teacher. He was among the group of visionaries who
recognized early the importance of international research, focusing his
attention on such research streams as sociological patterns and lifestyles of
U.S. and Asian middle managers and on international management
communication issues. His file is full of letters attesting to the impact his
instruction in oral and written communication has had on generations of
students. From his love of and insistence upon communication excellence, to
his skillful classroom instruction, to his administrative contributions,
Professor Hildebrandt's influence has extended broadly across the University.

The Regents now salute this faculty member by naming Herbert W.
Hildebrandt professor emeritus of business administration and professor
emeritus of communication studies.

Regents' Proceedings, July 1998, Page 25