Taking on the Union Colors
Soon after the announcement of my appointment as the 18th President of Union College was made public, I began to receive what would end up being hundreds of letters from alumni/ae of Union, parents of current students, colleagues and former students from Holy Cross, and friends from across the country. The words of support and encouragement found in those letters were heartwarming.
I also started receiving words of advice from fellow college presidents. Some advice was practical (e.g., “never handle a piece of paper twice”). Some advice was awe-inspiring (e.g., “always remember that you are the biped representation of the College”). And, some advice was prescriptive (e.g., “be sure to find time for yourself and your family”).
However, none prepared me for the emotional impact of the inauguration ceremony. That may be due to the fact that one cannot adequately describe the feelings that come with that ceremony. Gazing out from the stage in Memorial Chapel, I saw much in the faces of those who attended. Most notably, I saw pride, anticipation, and hope in those faces: pride in a College that has accomplished so much and now enters its third century; anticipation of potential for rebirth and change that comes with new leadership; and, hope that Union will write new chapters in its storied history.
The people who performed, brought greetings, and spoke at the inauguration further deepened my appreciation of the opportunities and obligations of my presidency. Dianne McMullen's processional and recessional along with Elizabeth Ruddle's solo performance of the national anthem left me speechless. The invocation by Victoria Brooks-McDonald, Thomas Boland, and Margo Strosberg left me inspired. The trust voiced by Stephen Ciesinski on behalf of the entire Board of Trustees left me confident and grateful. The greetings from Richard Roberts, Brian Gulack, Sylvia Schninnerer, Linda Stanhope, Susan Lehrman, John Brademas, Ronald Crutcher, John Churchill, Brian Stratton, and James Tedisco left me pleased and slightly overwhelmed. The remarks of William Brody, President of Johns Hopkins, left me motivated. The College choir's performance of Randall Thompson's, The Last Words of David, left me humbled. The personal introduction by my dear friend, James Davison Hunter, left me in sheer wonder at remarkable twists and turns of our life journeys.
Yet it was the moment when I took on my new presidential regalia, the garnet of Union, that the full weight of the inaugural ceremony, the full weight of the Union presidency, literally and figuratively came to rest on my shoulders. It was a feeling that defies description. I can only repeat the words with which I ended my inaugural address: I understand my opportunity to lead, and I pledge that I will do my part in shouldering our responsibility.”