[4] During that time, he headed the economics department, was graduate council chairman, vice chancellor and academic affairs dean.

[2][4] He then formed the Louisiana Coordinating Council for Higher Education, and served from 1969 to 1972 as its executive director.

[3] A scholar and economist in the specialized field of public finance and economic theory,[3] he frequently consulted with organizations and commissions.

[3] The Sligers moved from Baton Rouge to Tallahassee in 1972 when Bernie was hired as FSU's executive vice president and provost.

[2] He interviewed twice for Major League Baseball commissioner in 1993, removing himself from consideration when Dale Lick resigned at FSU and he was asked to serve until a new president could be selected.

He admitted it and told a story about picking berries when he was a child, but paying another kid to sell them.

[2] In 1986, Chancellor Charlie Reed of the Florida Board of Regents publicly criticized Bernie for his lackluster fund-raising.

Sliger eventually secured funding for 27 endowed professorships (called Eminent Scholar chairs), each requiring a $600,000 donation.

[2] Following his retirement as president, Sliger remained at FSU to help establish the Gus A. Stavros Center for the Advancement of Free Enterprise and Economic Education[1] and serve as its first director.

He was an effective leader as well as a universally popular person while steering FSU through unprecedented growth and achievement.

[3][1] His casual personality, self-deprecating wit and humility [2] sometimes concealed his credentials as an astute economist and academician.

[2] Bernie and Greta began the President's Ice Cream Social,[4] a Spring tradition that continues to this day as an informal time with students and faculty.

[4] He loved to eat and drink beer, play Straight pool and watch sports, especially if FSU was competing.

He held membership and leadership positions in numerous national educational organizations, including the Universities Research Association Executive Committee and Board of Trustees; Southeastern Universities Research Association; International Association of University Presidents; the Board of Trustees of the Joint Council on Economic Education; National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges; American Council on Education, ACE Labor/Higher Education Council; Council on Competitiveness.