FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 30, 2011
RICHMOND, Ind. — Earlham College is pleased to announce that John David Dawson has accepted an offer from the Board of Trustees to become the 17th President of Earlham. Board Chair Deborah Hull ’67 made the announcement earlier today.
David Dawson begins his tenure at Earlham on July 1.
Dawson is currently a Professor of Religion and Constance and Robert MacCrate Professor in Social Responsibility at Haverford College in Haverford, Penna., where he has been a member of the faculty since 1987.
In 2002, Dawson accepted an invitation to serve for five years as Haverford’s Provost, a position that combines much of the responsibility that Earlham allocates to both its Provost and Academic Dean.
“I am extremely happy to introduce David as Earlham’s new President,” says Hull. “He brings with him a wealth of scholarship and a deep commitment to social justice issues. Throughout his career, David has always been a very strong faculty member and has long had a strong relationship with students and fellow faculty members. As someone whose personal values mirror those of Earlham, he is the ideal person to lead the College forward.”
Dawson reports that he is “honored to join the Earlham community and to lead such an extraordinary institution. I am very excited to begin our journey together.”
Dawson received a B.A. from Towson State University, an M.Div. from Duke University’s Divinity School, and an M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. from Yale University. He also has been named the Pennsylvania Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
In addition to overseeing the operations of the liberal arts college and the Earlham School of Religion, Dawson has also been named a full professor in the Department of Religion.
Hull thanked the members of the Presidential Search Committee for their work during the last several months. Hull and Board Secretary Ray Ontko ’84 co-convened the committee, which included additional Board member Bobbie Gottschalk ’64 and Rob Bresler ’59, who is a past Board member and past chair of the Alumni Council; faculty and staff representatives Trayce Peterson ’82, ESR’98, Gypsy Swanger ’90, Donna Sykes, Lonnie Valentine ESR’83 and Mark Van Buskirk; and student representative Anne Marie Roderick ’11.
Dawson and his wife Ellen have two children, a son who attends Macalester College and a daughter who is currently a junior in high school. Ellen Dawson will stay in Pennsylvania while their daughter finishes high school and will join Dawson in Richmond in 2012. Dawson begins his tenure at Earlham on July 1, 2011.
He replaces the retiring Douglas C. Bennett, who has served as Earlham’s President since 1997.
—EC—
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