Horse recognized by "Who's Who"

I read with great excitement the article in the Aug. 22 issue of The Chronicle, "University listed 80th best undergrad institution in first Forbes.com ranking," on the new rating system for universities developed by Richard Vedder and Forbes.com. This system bases 25 percent of its ranking on the number of alumni in "Who's Who in America." I take issue with our Provost's negative assessment of this novel ranking system. It is clear to me that this method can potentially recognize achievements that might not have figured into other ranking methods. Specifically, it is clear that "Who's Who" goes to great lengths to identify outstanding individuals who might not be identified by conventional measures of accomplishment. I provide a case-in-point.

A couple of weeks ago my mare, Dixie, received a letter from Marquis Who's Who. This was notable, firstly, because she really does not get much first class mail. More importantly, the letter inside informed her that she was being considered for inclusion in "Who's Who in America." I really don't know how the selectors at "Who's Who" became aware of her many sterling qualities. They must have sources even out here in the rural hinterlands. It is possible she came to their notice because of the prescription I had filled for her at Wal-Mart a few years ago. That certainly got her correspondence from a number of pharmaceutical companies, and I would not be surprised if they had some influence with "Who's Who."

In spite of the fact that Dixie and I were honored by the recognition, I had not previously realized how important it was to be selected for inclusion in "Who's Who." Of course, I knew it would be a major personal accomplishment for Dixie. However, I now realize it could also dramatically improve the ranking of my horse breeding program on a national level. As soon as I finish this letter thanking you for bringing this news to my attention, I will start helping Dixie fill out the forms. Maybe we can get them in the mail to Marquis before the end of the day...

Maureane Hoffman

Professor, Department of Pathology