A few years ago I was asked to participate on a presidential spouses panel at the American Council on Education conference. It was a opportunity to share with others the challenges faced by male spouses of female presidents — and to tell a few jokes about being assigned to carry Carol’s purse in the football locker room.
All jokes aside, though, we discussed the many events that presidential couples must attend. So many times I accompanied Carol to events that were an important part of developing support for UNLV. But what people don’t realize is that Carol has also done the same for me — during the more than two decades that I have served as an administrator in Ohio, New York, and Nevada.
Life is much easier now that we’re in the same place, but we still face the “juggling” of schedules. At times I have wanted to have a bit more “down time” with my wife, but I have to say that we both became committed to the grand possibility of Las Vegas, especially given the entrepreneurial spirit of so many residents. Although I won’t be a “presidential spouse” after June 30th, I will still come home to a president emerita every night and somehow I don’t think either of us will be slowing down much.
