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Leo I. Higdon, Jr. Inaugurated as College of Charleston’s 20th President April 12, 2002
To the theme of “Dream, Plan, Believe,” C of C’s new president Leo I. “Lee” Higdon, Jr. was inaugurated on March 26 during a ceremony at the Sottile Theatre. The College paid tribute to its historic past by inviting representatives from America’s other colonial colleges to participate in the inauguration. Founded in 1770, the College of Charleston is the 13th oldest institution of higher learning in the nation and the oldest in South Carolina. “From its founding, the College of Charleston has been a leader in higher education,” said President Higdon during his inaugural address. “The College's first curriculum placed it among the earliest secular colleges in the nation. Clearly, the College of Charleston was not afraid of innovation as it embarked upon the road ‘less traveled by,’ becoming one of the first truly liberal arts and sciences colleges.” President Higdon paid respects to three of his presidential predecessors: Ted Stern, Harry Lightsey and Alex Sanders. Sanders and Stern were on stage with President Higdon. “I want to express my deepest personal gratitude to them-- to Ted Stern, the builder of our modern campus; to Harry Lightsey, the architect of our clear mission and strong academic plan; to Alex Sanders, who raised the visibility of our College to a national level and created for us such a strong economic base.”
President Higdon said the “excellent stewardship” by these leaders over the past three decades “has placed us high upon a promontory from which we can see a clear path to even loftier goals.” “Accordingly,” said President Higdon, “drawing upon its rich history, the College has reaffirmed its commitment to educational excellence and embarked on a quest to become a nationally preeminent public liberal arts and sciences university.” In January, the president announced his Fourth Century Initiative, an ambitious four year plan that has eight major goals: •Reducing average class sizes and student/faculty ratios •Increasing the quality of student-faculty interaction •Increasing faculty and student joint research activities •Reducing undergraduate enrollment •Enhancing financial aid and employment opportunities for students •Increasing student quality and keeping more of South Carolina’s top students in state •Boosting the number of full-time faculty and key student support staff •Expanding and improving campus facilities More on the Fourth Century Initiative can be found on the C of C website at http://www.cofc.edu/4thcentury/
The inauguration also featured an address by Timothy J. Sullivan, President of The College of William and Mary, a school with a similar colonial heritage and modern liberal arts and sciences mission as the College of Charleston. There was also a reading by C of C English Professor Paul Allen of “Ground Forces in the Academy,” a poem he wrote for the inauguration. There was also a performance of “Fanfare,” an original composition by David Maves, Professor of Music. “Fanfare” was performed by the College of Charleston Concert Choir (Robert J. Taylor, Director), the C of C Gospel Choir, and the C of C Chamber Orchestra Brass Octet. President Higdon came to the College of Charleston last fall from Babson College in Wellesley, Mass. He has also been dean of the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration of the University of Virginia. Prior to that he worked for 20 years for Salomon Brothers, where he rose to vice chairman and managed the global investment banking division. ### Contact: Patrick Harwood |
