Berry College: A History

NINE. Into the Second Century

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 [First Page] [176], (1) Lines: 0 to 3 ——— 0.0pt PgV ——— Normal Page PgEnds: TEX [176], (1) In his April 9, 1999, inaugural address, Scott Colley used as his theme “A Heritage of Hope—A Vision for the Future.” Speaking of Martha Berry’s vision, the college today, and its outlook for the future, Colley brought encouragement and renewed enthusiasm to the Berry community. Colley expressed his commitment to strengthening an institution that, guided by this mission for nearly a century, had grown into an outstanding small liberal-arts college. In his first five years, he would carry the college confidently into its second century. chapter nine Into the Second Century Berry’s Seventh President On February 21, 1998, Berry’s board of trustees unanimouslyselectedDr.JohnScottColley,provost anddeanofthefacultyatHampden-SydneyCollege in Virginia, as Berry’s seventh president. H. G. Pattillo , chair of the board, said that Colley’s “exemplary experience as a faculty member, a researcher, and an administrator make him uniquely qualified to hold this position at this important juncture in Berry’s history. He is a creative leader with strong academic credentials.”1 In addition to his administrative duties at Hampden-Sydney,Colleyhadtaughtfreshmanwriting courses, surveys of literature, humanities, and Shakespeare. He had taught in the English departmentatVanderbiltUniversityfrom1968to1988and had served as an associate dean and as department chair. At both Vanderbilt and Hampden-Sydney, Colley received awards for excellence in teaching and in leadership. He held a bachelors degree from Randolph-Macon College and a masters and a doctorate from the University of Chicago. His wife, Dr. Christine Colley, was an art historian and artist.2 Colley’spresidencyhasseenmuchprogressand many positive changes at Berry College, particularly in such areas as strategic planning, fund-raising, facility improvements, and faculty development and governance.Inaddition,underColley’sstewardship Berry has significantly enhanced its integrated education of the head, the heart, and the hands, and in 2002, the Berry community enjoyed a yearlong salute to the centennial of the school’s founding, the Celebration of a Century. Transitions Berry’s board of trustees experienced two leadership changes between 1998 and 2003. On June 30, 2000,Pattilloretiredfromactiveboardmembership 176 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 [177], (2) Lines: 37 to 59 ——— 0.0pt PgVar ——— Normal Page PgEnds: TEX [177], (2) after thirty years as a board member and five years as chair. Pattillo had served on the search committee that brought Colley to Berry and was, as Colley stated, “at every step thereafter a confidant, guide, tutor, colleague, and friend” to the new president.3 William B. Johnson of Atlanta took over as the board’s chair on July 1, 2000, and served until May 2002. While his time at the helm was relatively brief, it was a period of tremendous progress and in-depth strategic planning for Berry’s future. Johnson was succeeded by William B. Stokely III of Knoxville, Tennessee,whohadservedontheboardsince1986. In February 2001, under Johnson’s leadership, the board of trustees amended the bylaws and charter to increase the maximum number of members to twenty-three and to designate the chair of the college ’sboardofvisitorsasatrusteeexofficio,thesame representation on the board of trustees enjoyed by the alumni association.4 The college’s administrative leadership and structureexperiencedsomesignificantchangesduring this period. Shortly after assuming the presidency , Colley appointed Bettyann O’Neill, assistant dean and director of external relations for Berry’s Campbell School of Business, as vice president for institutional advancement. Over the next several years, O’Neill worked to enhance alumni relations, public relations, and fund-raising operations to create significant long-term support for the college. Changes in academic affairs included the 1999 appointmentofDr.KathyMcKee,professorofcommunication , to succeed Dr. Ouida Dickey as dean of academic services and the 2000 appointment of Dr. Thomas Dasher, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Valdosta State University, to succeed Dr. Doyle Mathis as provost. Mathis had led academics at Berry College for twenty-five years and was designated provost emeritus and subsequently professor of government emeritus. Dickey retired after serving the school in a variety of capacities...