WELLESLEY, Mass., Oct. 26, 2007 -- Although she was unable to attend this morning's meeting of the Wellesley College board of trustees, Space Shuttle Commander Pam Melroy managed to "attend" briefly by phone.
The 1983 alumna of the prestigious women's college interrupted the meeting
with her call from the space shuttle Discovery, which is docked with the
International Space Station.
Melroy's fellow trustees burst into applause and cheers when they heard
her voice. They spoke for about four minutes during which two of Melroy's
colleagues were on the mission's first spacewalk.
"I wish I could be with you at this exciting time for Wellesley and meet our new president. Hi Kim," said Melroy, greeting Wellesley President H. Kim Bottomly, who started Aug. 1.
"We all understand that you're on a higher mission right now," said board
chair Alecia DeCoudreaux of Indianapolis. "We are extraordinarily proud of
you and look forward to hearing all about your mission at our next meeting."
Before signing off, Melroy assured her colleagues that she'd be at the January meeting. "Until then, thank you for all the good work you're doing
for Wellesley College," she said.
Since 1875, Wellesley College has been a leader in providing an excellent
liberal arts education for women who will make a difference in the world.
Its 500-acre campus near Boston is home to 2,300 undergraduate students
from all 50 states and 68 countries.
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