McCardell to Relinquish Top Job in June 2004

Author: Andrea Gissing

President John McCardell Jr. borrowed words from his inauguration speech to announce his resignation Tuesday afternoon: "There is indeed much to be done. Let's get on with it."

In a heartfelt address to students, faculty and staff in Mead Chapel, McCardell revealed his intent to step down as president of the College effective June 30, 2004. After a one-year leave, he will return to campus as College Professor, continuing his 28-year career at Middlebury.

"This seems the right time to begin a transition to new leadership," he said. "Thirteen years as president is a long time - three complete student generations, going on four."

In those 13 years, he has set in motion the commons model of residential life, closed the books on historic fundraising campaigns and overseen a major expansion of college facilities. And in a broader sense, he sketched a vision of the College that will far outlast his administration.

"[McCardell] pioneered the principle that liberal arts learning is enhanced when students have the opportunity to apply what they are studying to issues and problems outside of academia," said Churchill Franklin '71, chair of the Board of Trustees. Franklin added that the board accepted McCardell's decision with "enormous reluctance and regret."

"John had set an ambitious agenda with the commons and the library," said Franklin. "Now they are done and financially supported. He has had wonderful success and he is leaving at the apex, the pinnacle of his accomplishments."

The board will name McCardell president emeritus effective July 1, 2004, and after a year, will elect him trustee emeritus "to make sure that the College will continue to benefit from [McCardell's] experience in office and his knowledge of the institution," said Franklin. "The fact that [McCardell] will be around the College is a source of great comfort," he added.

The College's next president will "inherit a college rich in things, but richer still in spirit," McCardell said in his prepared remarks at Mead Chapel. In his years as president, he has fulfilled much of the vision for the College that he outlined upon becoming president in 1991.

He has presided over the expansion of the College's facilities, most notably in the form of Bicentennial Hall, the new library and the athletic complex. He also increased the size and quality of the faculty and enlarged the student body while still maintaining the academic standards of the College.

McCardell's success in the fundraising arena also defines his leadership. He led the College's Bicentennial fundraising campaign, which generated $200 million. That was followed by a campaign to raise $30 million within eight months, despite the hesitations of the Board. "One of the fun things about the role of president is the ability to be contrary and have the Board support you," he said.

The Board of Trustees hopes to complete the search for McCardell's replacement within seven months, a task that Franklin readily acknowledges is "ambitious." After meeting with search consultants, the Board of Trustees agreed that it is possible, especially because there are not many other Colleges searching for presidential candidates at this time. Franklin said that the Board plans to look both outside and within the College community for McCardell's successor.

When asked if he plans to take part in the search for his successor, McCardell replied, "Absolutely not. I will answer any questions I'm asked, but my role really will not be involved with the search. The trustees will honor process and they will do well by the College. I'm content to let them make their decision."

When he returns from his one-year leave, McCardell does not plan to be active in Old Chapel business. "You want to be helpful," he said, "to do what you can for the institution, but if I thought I would want to be involved in the kind of things that the president does, I would have stayed on as another five years as president."

Instead, in his new role as president emeritus and trustee emeritus, McCardell will do as much or as little as the Board and the new president would want him to do.

He looks forward to concentrating on teaching in his new role as College Professor. "I would love to do a Winter Term," he said. "It would be a lot of fun."