James F. Jones, Jr. Inaugurated as Trinity College President
Hartford, Conn., October 17, 2004— James F. Jones, Jr. was inaugurated today as the 21st president of Trinity College, Connecticut’s second-oldest higher education institution. The ceremony began at 11:00 a.m. on the main Quad, at the heart of the 100-acre campus. More than 1,500 alumni, students, and guests gathered to celebrate the occasion, during which Jones accepted a warm welcome from dignitaries, distinguished alumni, and educators and shared his views on the past, present, and future state of higher learning and the importance of liberal arts education.
In his inaugural address, Jones noted that, following the decline of the “idealistic model of the School of Athens” during the Dark Ages, small bands of monks in Ireland kept literacy alive – maintaining ‘le feu sacre’ (the sacred fire) no matter how barren the intellectual landscape.” Noting that while “ …no one could justly call our present intellectual landscape dark and foreboding,” Jones added: “In our time, education is just as critical as it was then, …in our time, the pathogens are ignorance, poverty, and prejudice. In the time of those Irish monks, the societal pathogens were ignorance, poverty, and prejudice.” And, Jones later warned, “ …we must never think that any one of us, no matter our background or station in life, is beyond the reach of the pathogens that weaken our society.”
The Inaugural ceremony was preceded by a colorful academic procession, including Trinity faculty and more than 85 delegates from other colleges and universities, and the presentation of the president by former Trinity Trustee William C. Richardson ’62, also president emeritus of Johns Hopkins University and president and CEO of the Kellogg Foundation. Following greetings from parent, student, faculty, and alumni representatives, City of Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez ’96 welcomed Jones and his wife, Jan, to Hartford, and wished them much success.
Wellesley College President Diana Chapman Walsh and Harvard University Dean, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, William C. Kirby represented the delegates of colleges and universities in attendance and offered Jones greetings from the Academy. President of Williams College, Morton Owen Schapiro, presented greetings from the NESCAC institutions.
Presiding over the investiture of the new president was Board of Trustees Chairman Paul E. Raether ’68 P ’93, 96, 01. During this ceremony, Jones was presented with the Symbols of the Office of President—an integral part of the Trinity College inauguration. As the new president, Jones received the four traditional symbols of the Trinity presidency, the Mace, Book, Key, and Presidential Collar. The Owen Morgan Mace stands for the president’s new executive power; it is made of ebony, signifying endurance; bronze, meaning power; and gold, symbolizing dignity and glory. The Book has been placed in the hands of every Trinity graduate at Commencement since 1827, and signifies the delegation of responsibility to the president for maintaining the educational activities for which Trinity was founded. The Key, which symbolizes the turning over of the physical properties of the College to the president, is made of bronze and is one of the keys that turned the original huge lock in the door of Williams Memorial, the current administration building at the College. The Presidential Collar, which is worn on ceremonial occasions, is the visible symbol of the president’s high office and authority. The chain symbolically links modern higher education with the ancient academy. Among the symbols on the Presidential Collar are the Book and a pair of student’s hands extended to receive it—symbolizing the desire of youth to receive an education.
Jones came to Trinity from Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where he served as president and professor in the humanities. At Kalamazoo, Jones successfully led the movement to reposition the College to play a pivotal role in the local community while winning extensive external support from prominent national foundations. He also implemented the development of a strategic plan for Kalamazoo, focusing primarily on strengthening the faculty, improving information technology on campus, and renovating the residence and dining halls.
Prior to joining Kalamazoo College, Jones was with Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, as professor of the humanities, dean of Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, and vice provost of the University (1991-1996). A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Jones is a graduate of the University of Virginia (B.A., cum laude), Emory University (M.A.), and Columbia University (M. Phil.) (Ph.D.), and holds a Certificat, Degré Avancé, from the Ecole des Professeurs de Français à l'Etranger, the Sorbonne. His publications include Rousseau's Dialogues: An Interpretive Essay, The Story of a Fair Greek of Yesteryear, a translation into English of L'Histoire d'une Grecque moderne by Antoine-François Prévost, and Nouvelle Héloïse: Rousseau and Utopia, along with more than two dozen scholarly articles.
“Trinity College has been a center for intellectual engagement for 181 years,” said Board of Trustees Chairman Paul E. Raether ’68. “With President Jones’ commitment to liberal arts education and his proven ability to lead a comprehensive campaign for the College’s future, our faculty, students, and staff are positioned to work alongside him to focus our resources and energies on the next vital stage of the College’s growth.”
The entire inaugural ceremony will be available for viewing midweek in a “web cast” at: www.trincoll.edu/AboutTrinity/leadership/jones/inauguration/webcast.htm.
Photos of the inaugural ceremony are available at Trinity’s virtual press kit web site at: www.trincoll.edu/AboutTrinity/leadership/jones/inauguration/gallery.htm.
Media Contact: Julie Winkel
860-297-4285
julie.winkel@trincoll.edu