"We all learned from Werner Seligmann what extraordinary effort and sacrifice it takes in life to achieve a high level of excellence in one's work. Few could equal his energy, dedication, and passion for their work as did Werner, and even fewer could claim an equal desire to communicate to students and often a few professionals what the standards of good architecture are really all about.

When Werner started his tenure as Dean of the Syracuse University School of Architecture he was very concerned with the transformation of this School so that it could stand among the schools of architecture at the very best institutions of higher learning in the land, especially those in the northeast. The work of the students of this School had to achieve the very highest standards that Werner and the faculty would set, in order for the quality of the program to improve. As a faculty we were continuously reminded of the extraordinary effort and sacrifices we would have to make in order to achieve these standards. Werner was also keenly aware of how important it was that the School receive the recognition from the architectural community for its quality and its high standards. Werner was always acting as the representative of the school. Whether he was at another institution lecturing or on a jury of student work, to many Werner was the school. Werner was always "on", exhibiting in his delivery his knowledge of architecture and his standards of excellence. The reputation of the School was on the line and no sacrifices were too great when the opportunity arose to show the academies what standards were really all about.

I’ll give you an example of the extraordinary sacrifices we made to communicate to others our quality, and standards. It's one of my favorite "Werner" stories, and as we know there are many. This is told here with good-hearted humor. It's the mid-1980's, the scene takes place in a taxi heading from Boston's Logan Airport toward Cambridge to deliver Werner Seligmann, Randall Korman, and me to Harvard University's Graduate School of Design to participate in the reviews of student work. As the taxi dashed through traffic, Werner was giving us both advice on how we should critique the students' projects and in particular on how not to be to "soft" with our criticism, but uphold our standards. If the work is bad, let them know, and how surprised we are that their standards are not higher. In other words, be fair but tough. It was at that very moment when Werner was finishing his words of advice when one of us.. Randall or I, I can't remember . .said.. "Hey, it's still early, let's have a nice lunch before the student reviews". To which Werner responded .."NO LUNCH - WE GO IN HUNGRY"! That day we sacrificed for the maintenance of high standards.

In 1961, just about when Werner began his professional practice, Le Corbusier received the prestigious Gold Medal Award from the American Institute of Architects for his life's achievements, and in his remarks following the presentation, Le Corbusier said something about the creative struggle and himself that I think also describes Werner's sense of a working model for life. Le Corbusier started out by saying:

"Dear friends, there is no 'wing of victory' in this room. There is no 'wing of victory in life'. Great things are made out of a multitude of little things, and those little things are daily, successive, without end from morning to night. Daily life is made of perseverance, courage, modesty, and difficulties."

And Le Corbusier ended by saying something we could have heard from Werner describing himself. Le Corbusier went on to say,

"I am going to make my definitive confession: I am living in the skin of a student."

Thank you Werner for making us all better students.

Arthur McDonald, graduate teaching assistant, employee, colleague, friend and always a student."