Flanked on either side by the distinguished portraits of Union College's former presidents, Stephen Ainlay pulled on a garnet robe and gold medallion Saturday amid thunderous applause to become the next in line to guide the school.
Ainlay was ceremoniously ushered in as Union College's 18 th president, nearly a year after a 12-member search committee picked him to replace outgoing president Roger Hull, who retired from the post in January after 15 years of service.
In his inaugural address, Ainlay spoke broadly about the profound impact Union College graduates have had on the collective history of the United States and the need for the college to continue fostering an academic environment that breeds innovators.
“We will need to draw on this ethos of innovation and instill it in our students as we try to meet the demand for individuals who are capable of imagining solutions well outside prescribed ways of thinking,'' he told a crowd of more than 900 people gathered at the college's Memorial Chapel. “But be assured of one thing: Union is indeed wellhewn to make a difference in our time.”
Ainlay also harkened back to Union College alumnus William Seward, who was defeated in his bid for the Republican nomination for U.S. president in 1860 by Abraham Lincoln, but overcame his disappointment to later become one of the nation's most effective secretaries of state and a top Lincoln adviser. He said this spirit of selfless dedication should be instilled in all of the college's students throughout their education at Union College.
“We must find ways of getting in students' way, creating space for them to think about the very meaning of the common good, what it means to submit to a cause that transcends personal ambition,” Ainlay said. “If not possible in a place in the shadow of William Seward, then where? ”
Known for his background in the field of sociology, Ainlay began his tenure as president in July, after serving nearly a quarter-century as both a professor and administrator at The College of Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass. Most recently, he served as the vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college.
Among those speaking at the inauguration was Union College senior and class President Brian Gulack, who recalled how Ainlay approached the student forum shortly after being appointed and asked the members about their individual vision for the college.
“It was at that second that I knew Dr. Ainlay cared about the students,” he said. “If there is anyone that is fit to be patriarch of our college family, it is Dr. Ainlay.”
In his remarks, Wheaton College President Ronald Crutcher advised Ainlay that being the president of a college requires a difficult balance of being an educator, scholar and finance administrator, among a long list of other duties.
“There will be days that you will ask yourself, ‘Why did I ever aspire to this position?' . .. but many more days that you will know why you're at this position,” Crutcher said. “I have no doubt that you are a fantastic fit for this college and that the college will prosper under your leadership.”
Also speaking at the ceremony was William Brody, the president of Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, who urged Ainlay to get to know the student population over which he now presides.
“They are the reason the college exists,” Brody said. “And perhaps after your first year in the job, you will decide to teach a seminar or class. There you will find that the best reward of your job is to experience firsthand the incredible talent that Union College is nurturing to become the leaders of the 21 st century.”