Thomas W. Ross (left) receives the ceremonial mace of office from Davidson College Board of Trustees Chair John McCartney during Mr. Ross’s inauguration as Davidson’s 17th president Saturday at Belk Arena. (Bill Giduz photo)
By COLLEEN McKOWN
Thomas W. Ross was sworn in as Davidson College’s 17th president Saturday during the Fall Convocation at Belk Arena. In a speech, he spoke of Davidson’s paradoxical challenge of embracing change while remaining the same.
“I pledge to you that I will work with all my energy and effort … to ensure that values, traditions, and culture at Davidson remain the same as we move towards the future,” he said.
“The future is not a place we are going. It is a place we are creating. Martin Luther King’s famous speech was not entitled, ‘I have a complaint,’ ” he said.
President Ross said becoming president of his alma mater “exceeds my most wonderful dreams.” He had high praise for his three predecessors, Sam Spencer, John Kuykendall, and Bobby Vagt.
Mr. Spencer provided “leadership during some of Davidson’s most challenging times,” Mr. Kuykendall led by example and emphasized the responsibility to serve others, and Mr. Vagt had “wisdom, compassion, and enthusiasm that may never be duplicated.”
President Ross, a 1972 graduate of Davidson, previously was director of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation in Winston-Salem. Before that, eh worked 17 years as a North Carolina Superior Court judge.
The inauguration was held in Baker Sports Complex on Saturday morning, during Davidson’s Family Weekend. About 3,500 people attended the event and the luncheon.
DavidsonNews.net had a recent interview with President Ross in which Ross spoke about his views and experiences at Davidson, his opinions about liberal arts education, and his hopes for Davidson’s future.
Job Thomas, professor of history and director of the South Asian Studies Program, acknowledges the crowd after receiving the Thomas Jefferson Award.
Below, Ellie Boye, daughter of Boswell Award winner Dan Boye and his wife Anne, loads up her brother Charlie with souvenir picnic baskets at the luncheon.
