Charles O. Prince, III, the Chief Operating Officer of Citigroup and Corporate Secretary, joined the Teachers College Trustees this past spring.

A graduate of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, where he received a master's degree in International Relations and a law degree, Prince hoped to be a public interest lawyer, but instead began his career as an attorney at U.S. Steel Corporation in 1975. He went on to receive a Master of Laws in corporate securities from Georgetown University, and joined Commercial Credit Company (a predecessor company to Citigroup) in 1979.

He became a Senior Vice President and General Counsel of the company in 1983 and in 1996 was named Executive Vice President. By 2001, he had moved up to Chief Operating Officer. This year, he was appointed head of Citigroup's investment bank, Salomon Smith Barney, where he is considered "chief problem solver."

Known as a troubleshooter who has helped negotiate acquisitions and deal swiftly with any problems, Prince works long hours to make the business run smoothly. He also has worked to convince members of Congress and regulators in Washington to allow banks to get into other businesses.

For a time, Prince was treasurer of the New York chapter of the National Urban League, but gave up that job due to the demands of his position at Citigroup. He is a member of various bar associations and professional associations, including the Council on Foreign Relations. He is also a recently elected member of the Board of Directors of the United Negro College Fund.

In discussing his appointment to the Teachers College Trustees, Prince said, "It would be really difficult to overstate Teachers College's influence in the education arena. Not only does the College generate ideas that go to the heart of how we can ensure that all children realize their full academic potential, but its students go on to execute those ideas in the real world. This dynamic doesn't end in any classroom either-it plays out as parents, business and community leaders, policy makers and children themselves work to improve our schools."

He added, "I am deeply excited about the prospect of contributing to this effort and learning, myself, about the things we can all do to promote academic excellence for all."

In his role as a TC Trustee, Prince is serving as a member of the Committee on Academic Awards and the Business and Finance Committee.

Published Thursday, Feb. 27, 2003