The Place of Promise
The Inaugural Address of President Rosalind Reichard
Sept. 21, 2007
Introduction.
Thank you, Fielding, for that wonderful introduction. Thank you also, Chairman McGlothlin, for coordinating this ceremony and for your leadership of the board of trustees. And, thank you to all of the trustees for their confidence in selecting me to be president of Emory & Henry College.
Thank you to everyone who has come to this event from near and far, old friends and new ones, community members, faculty, and staff. And, a special thank you to our students - you are always in my thoughts and you bring me energy, excitement, and encouragement.
I am especially pleased to acknowledge the presence of many of the former presidents of the college who are represented here today, personally, or by members of their families. Your participation in today's ceremony is a tribute to the commitments of so many outstanding individuals to this wonderful College.
Thank you also to the many delegates from colleges and universities who have traveled to join us in this traditional celebration.
And, thank you to the distinguished guests and speakers for their memorable remarks.
We are indeed fortunate to have many alumni with us today and I thank you for providing us with a representative for so many Emory & Henry classes, a true symbol of the legacy of this College. Please allow me to take a moment of personal privilege to recognize Betty Hounshell of Greensboro, NC., class of 1941, who with her husband, Dr. Charles Hounshell, class of 1942, first introduced Don and me to Emry & Henry College over 30 years ago. Thank you, Betty, for being here. I am also pleased to recognize the most senior member of our alumni procession, Elizabeth Crowgey Young (1934).
And, I have saved the most important people in my life for my last and deepest thank you - my family. Thank you to all members of our family for being here today to celebrate this occasion! To my mother, the 'grand dame' of the family - it is you and my father, who is watching over us today, who gave me the confidence to reach for the stars. To my sister, Marilyn, and my brother, Mark, who is standing there proudly with our father, thank you for your encouragement and for being such outstanding examples of strength and courage. To our sons, Steve and Jeff, and their wonderful wives, Hannah and Erica, thank you for your patience and your faith in me - your happiness brings me the greatest joy. To my husband, Don, the first gentleman of the College, the person who is always there for me, thank you for your wisdom, for your love, for your unwavering support - I know that the Emory & Henry community understands how fortunate they are to have you here with them and with me.
Legacy.
From the time many years ago when I first heard about Emory & Henry College, I knew it was a special place - a place of promise. Here in the highlands of southwestern Virginia, surrounded by the Appalachian and Blue Ridge Mountains, the connection between people and place is deep and strong. Here in southwestern Virginia, there is a seamless bond between the land and the people, and they will not hesitate to tell you about it. Here in southwestern Virginia, the land has always been a source of food and sustenance. But, to its people, it is much, much more. Here in southwestern Virginia, the land has been absorbed into the collective spirit of its people, and it is here that Emory & Henry College, the place of promise, was founded.
On Friday, April 13, 1838, a new manual labor school on one of the upper branches of Little Holston Creek, opened its doors for classes. This new institution, Emory & Henry College, was a community enterprise under the sponsorship of the Holston Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The Reverend Creed Fulton, as chairman of the Conference committee appointed to locate and raise funds for the new school, is often singled out as the founder of Emory & Henry College. But, three other individuals, Tobias Smyth, a prosperous local farmer, Alexander Findlay, a local merchant in the town of Abingdon, and Colonel William Byars, a wealthy planter and political leader in the Virginia House of Delegates, should be given equal credit for the founding of this College. They acquired the land for Emory & Henry College, 554 1/2 acres, for the grand sum of $4,990.50. A Methodist minister, a local farmer, a businessman, and a political leader are credited with the founding of Emory & Henry College. Its founding was very much a community project and confirms the historic and strong ties this institution has with the surrounding community.
Connections with our surrounding communities - this is our legacy and this is our vision.
What were the dreams and hopes of the founders of Emory and Henry College, "when," as Dr. Dan Leidig wrote, "they planted this paradox here in a pasture beside an abundant and abandoned spring?"
Here are the goals of our founders as chronicled in the College's history, Increase in Excellence, written by Dr. George Stevenson. There are four that I will share with you today.
To combine the pursuits of the mind and the honest labor of the body in disciplinary harmony.
To strengthen a commitment to the liberal arts and scholarly inquiry.
To integrate faith and knowledge in ways that provide the strongest values-centered education.
To inspire each individual to effective, responsible participation in an increasingly complex world.
Today, I would like to explore more deeply these goals of our founders and see where they lead us today as we create the future for this place of promise.
1. To combine the pursuits of the mind and the honest labor of the body in disciplinary harmony!
Emory & Henry was founded as a manual labor college. Students worked for three, four, or five cents an hour, depending on the difficulty of their tasks. While the challenges of managing a manual labor system brought about its demise at Emory & Henry within 10 years of its founding, the goals of a manual labor system remained throughout its history and continue today. The manual labor system was a founding principle of the College not only to provide healthy bodies for healthy minds, but also to demand the development of engaged and informed citizens far different from the goals of the ivory-tower model prevalent throughout much of higher education at that time. The founders of Emory & Henry believed in the manual labor system because they believed that the purpose of education was to strengthen the individual and society, not simply to transmit an intellectual heritage to a privileged few. They were concerned about the cost of higher education, and they believed that the system was undemocratic because only the wealthy could afford to send their children to college. Our founders advocated an education that easily crossed the boundaries of the classroom and the community, an education in which the lessons learned in the academy could be applied immediately to society. The founders of Emory & Henry believed in a pragmatic approach to liberal education that emphasized an integrated, comprehensive student experience.
Connections with our surrounding communities - this is our legacy and this is our vision.
2. To strengthen a commitment to the liberal arts and scholarly inquiry.
Throughout its history, Emory & Henry College has emphasized an educational program with a liberal arts tradition. From a college catalog in the 1800s I quote: "The one purpose of the College is to offer a strong college course that will be valued both for its own worth ... and for the preparation it gives for all professions. Emory & Henry believes there is a place for ... a well-rounded education and proposes steadfastly to offer advantages as best to suit this end." While emphasizing the liberal arts, Emory & Henry has always provided programs of study that are not part of a classical liberal arts program. For example, in the 1870's the college offered a course in business methods and included surveying as an option for its students. Emory & Henry College's educational program has focused on the liberal arts for its exploration of a wide range of cultures and social issues that enable its students to understand that the search for knowledge is ongoing and does not end with graduation. The College's liberal arts program recognizes and intentionally supports the practical value it has for the development of engaged, concerned citizens of the world. With this useful, liberal education, the College demonstrates to its students and the world that individual accomplishments are most successful when they contribute to the public good.
Connections with our surrounding communities - this is our legacy and this is our vision.
3. To integrate faith and knowledge in ways that provides the strongest values-centered education.
The naming of the College for Bishop John Emory was a public affirmation of the College's belief in the union of faith and knowledge. Emory & Henry's mission statement affirms the College's belief "in the worth of each person's religious and cultural heritage, inasmuch as that heritage leads to service to others in our region and the larger world." Our College has been affiliated continuously with the Holston Conference of the United Methodist Church since its founding in 1836. This affiliation has provided our students with the recognition of the importance of values in their lives and has empowered them to use their values-centered education to change the world and themselves for the better. As a part of our strategic planning process this past year, we have identified the following core values for Emory & Henry College: Civic Engagement, Vitality of Faith, Academic Excellence, Freedom of Inquiry, Integrity, Community and Diversity, Place, History and Tradition. The process of values-education involves asking students to apply these values in their educational, personal, and professional lives. Does Emory & Henry College, this place of promise, integrate faith and knowledge? It does so as it builds a strong campus community, one that is open, welcoming and caring of all members and by engaging with communities beyond the campus.
Connections with our surrounding communities - this is our legacy and this is our vision.
4. To inspire each individual to effective, responsible participation in an increasingly complex world.
The naming of the College in honor of Patrick Henry represents the College's commitment to civic responsibility and positive social change. President Hillman said in one of his addresses to the faculty in 1925, "At Emory and Henry, we seek to provide a thorough liberal and cultural training which shall include, in addition to a humanizing and cultural content, those practical participations in individual and group responsibilities which develop a satisfying and sufficient motive for a full and creative life in whatsoever worthy channels it may be expressed."
Some examples from our alumni of the 1800s illustrate the emphasis that Emory & Henry has placed on responsible participation in a complex world. Let us remember Bishop Walter Russell Lambuth (1875), a Methodist missionary bishop who founded more than fifteen hospitals and colleges in the Orient and Africa; Braxton B. Comer (1869), founder of Avondale Mills and governor of Alabama; and Edward C. Huffaker (1876), a co-worker with the Wright brothers in their early efforts on manned flight. In the 1900s, Emory & Henry alumni have continued to demonstrate their contributions to a better world. We have Rebecca Phillips Abbott (1973), who served as Director of the National Museum of Women in the Arts; Jane Reed Sherman (1966), who served as President and CEO of the Make-a-Wish Foundation of Hudson Valley, New York; Ann Elizabeth Sluder (1981), Director of Biology and Intellectual Property and an expert in genetics at Cambria Biosciences; and Susan Edwards (1979), President of the Arizona region of Banner Health Care. All of these alumni and many more absorbed the lessons of this place of promise and contributed to positive social change.
Connections with our surrounding communities - this is our legacy and this is our vision.
Vision.
These four goals of our founding fathers - supporting mind and body, focusing on the liberal arts and scholarly inquiry, integrating faith and knowledge, inspiring responsible citizenship -- have shaped our culture and informed our students, faculty, and staff for 171 years. Our challenge today is to act within the context of these enduring goals with boldness, imagination, and discipline to confront the challenges of our times and embrace appropriate change. Our new strategic plan states a vision for the future that connects so well with the legacy of our past:
"Emory & Henry College will be a national leader in providing the highest quality liberal arts education that combines tradition and innovation as it fulfills our historic commitment to transform lives and to create positive social change in our region, our nation and the world."
How will we fulfill our commitment to transform lives and to create positive social change in our region, our nation and the world? Here are three steps that I ask us to take as we work to achieve our vision.
First, we must revitalize our General Education program and create a program that prepares our students for the realities of the twenty-first century. In his series of articles entitled "The Crisis," revolutionary war patriot, Thomas Paine, wrote, "These are the times that try men's souls." This quotation is relevant today - a time of ground-shifting change in every aspect of life - a time when the world is being dramatically reshaped by technological change, global interdependence, cross-cultural conflicts, and changes in the balance of economic and political power. In these times of confusing change, the American Association of Colleges and Universities has outlined the essential learning outcomes for students. In order for our students to be prepared for the challenges of the twenty-first century, they must gain knowledge of human cultures and the physical and natural world, they must gain intellectual and practical skills, they must gain personal and social responsibility, and they must gain integrative learning.
Emory & Henry College has begun the process of infusing new ways of knowing and new ways of doing into our General Education Program. The General Education Review Committee has been meeting for over a year and is nearing the crucial point of presenting a new program to the faculty for its approval. The new program includes a common core with shared goals and outcomes, but it also incorporates flexibility and choice for our students.
In the 1970s, Emory & Henry College was recognized for having an innovative and unique General Education program. This program was forward-looking for its time. But, times have changed dramatically since this program was developed. The new General Education program currently under development by our faculty holds the promise of reestablishing Emory & Henry College as "a national leader in providing the highest quality liberal arts education." It is time for us to embrace these changes and work together to implement the kind of learning needed for a world dependent on innovation and global interdependence.
And, so, the first step in achieving our vision is the implementation of a new General Education Program.
Second, we must provide our students with an education that embraces multi-cultural and international perspectives. In order for our students to live and work in an increasingly diverse and complex world, they must understand differences and the difference that differences can make. We must engender students' understanding of differing worldviews and experiences and strengthen their comfort in interacting with people who are culturally different from themselves. Through the curriculum, the co-curricular, and extra-curricular activities, we must support international and multicultural activities on our campus and facilitate the enhancement of attitudes and behaviors that enable effective communication across cultures, lifestyles, and beliefs.
How can we accomplish this goal of providing Emory & Henry students with an education that embraces multi-cultural and international perspectives? First and foremost, we must strengthen our study abroad programs. In addition, we must provide incentives for our students to learn about languages and cultures different from their own, and we must recruit students with multicultural and international personal histories. We must internationalize our faculty and staff by supporting them with travel and study opportunities and by recruiting faculty and staff with diverse experiences. I am encouraged by the faculty's inclusion of an "Emory Across America" experience and a study-abroad experience in the current version of its new General Education program. Through these and other initiatives we will support our students to think, work, and live across boundaries in diverse environments and demonstrate an open-mindedness and an understanding of complexity. An education for the twenty-first century can do no less.
And, the third step I would like to present to you today for Emory & Henry to achieve its vision is to embrace and expand the Appalachian Center for Community Service to a new and more comprehensive Institute for Public Policy which incorporates the Appalachian Center for Placed-Based Education and Service, a new Center for Environmental Studies, and a newly configured Center for Education Policy. This new Institute for Public Policy will be committed to the study and discussion of new ideas about public policy related to the environment, to education, and to local community issues. This new institute will partner with other organizations, local and beyond, for the purpose of creating positive social change through public policy and community service.
Through this new Institute for Public Policy, Emory & Henry will strengthen community partnerships in an effort to bring results with mutual benefit to us and to our partners. These community partnerships will provide ideal opportunities for interdisciplinary teaching, learning, and problem-solving. Our community partners will view Emory & Henry as an institution that is attentive to community concerns and one that is woven into the social fabric of the region. This will result from hard work, consistent attention to relationships, and creatively connecting the expertise of specific disciplines to community problem solving.
Through publications, forums, workshops, and other activities, Emory & Henry's Institute for Public Policy will support community participation in public affairs. The Institute will provide services to public officials, private sector leaders, and community members who shape public policy.
On my first day in office, August 7, 2006, I spent the day with the Appalachian Center for Community Service and visited the Meadowview community to talk with community members about their plans for the Meadowview Health Clinic and Community Center. These activities were meant to educate me in the work of the Appalachian Center and also to send a signal that the Appalachian Center for Community Service and its work would play an increasingly important role in the life of the Emory & Henry College of the future. Let's build this signature Emory & Henry Institute for Public Policy!
Connections with our surrounding communities - this is, indeed, our legacy and our vision.
Conclusion.
The theme for this inaugural ceremony, Legacy and Vision: Toward Newer Worlds, comes from a poem about Emory & Henry College, called Ampersand, written by an alumnus and former academic dean of the College, Dr. Daniel Leidig. Dr. Leidig's poem is included in your program.
As I end this inaugural address, I would like to read to you from another poem by Dan Leidig, the poem called "Generations."
The new generations do not always succeed
their teachers, but they always try:
peripatetic Plato preaching in the Grove
his absolute Ideas, beyond the dialectic tongue
and eye of the old gadfly, the sculptor's son
who knew full well that the chisel
in new hands seldom conforms
to the mentor's plan.
This morning a surprise call
from a student of too many years ago.
"I'm just passing through. May I stop
for a cup of coffee, a little visit?"
She chuckles, speaks of her
"now more contemplative spirit."
The old man fidgets. He remembers
the wise girl and her queries
about the efficacies of history.
He expects she will tell him
he was wrong, quote Sandburg again:
"The past is a bucket of ashes."
What is he to do now
about his overwrought claims
for the past? He covets
the old Socratic disclaimer:
"I know nothing."
Perhaps she will tell him
he was wrong for the right reasons.
He puts the old pot on the stove
setting the dial on Simmer,
the contemplative mode, hoping
that now, better than he, she can see
how the faint mist rising
both derives and departs
from the old grounds below.
We at Emory & Henry see the faint mist rising. We know it both derives and departs from the old grounds below. We see a place interconnected inseparably with the land and its people, a place where students, faculty and staff are committed to the betterment of our communities. With great joy and love, once more today, we rejoice in the opportunity to re-dedicate ourselves to Emory & Henry College, this very special place of promise.
