ELCA NEWS SERVICE
December 17, 2003
ELCA's Gettysburg College Names Katherine Haley Will President
03-228-PL*/JB
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Dr. Katherine Haley Will, president of
Whittier College, Los Angeles, was named the 13th president of
Gettysburg (Pa.) College in a special meeting of the college's
board of trustees Dec. 5.
Gettysburg College is one of 28 colleges and universities of
the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
Will, 51, succeeds Gordon A. Haaland, who announced last
spring that he would step down from his post at the end of this
academic year, after 14 years as president. Will has been
president of Whittier College since 1999.
"I am pleased and delighted that the search committee has
named Katherine Haley Will to be the 13th president of Gettysburg
College because she was the best candidate for the job in a very
strong and competitive applicant pool," said Charles Widger,
chair of the college's board of trustees, King of Prussia, Pa.
"Kate's experience as a scholar, college president and visionary
leader will serve our institution well."
"I also want to take this opportunity to thank Gordon
Haaland for his exemplary service to Gettysburg these 13-plus
years. His leadership will continue to have a positive impact and
provide a springboard for the next administration," Widger added.
Prior to assuming her duties at Whittier, Will was provost
and professor of English at Kenyon College, Gambier, Ohio, from
1996 to 1999, where she served as leader of the college's
academic program, faculty and curriculum.
She has also served as dean of graduate study and director
of general education at Augustana College, an ELCA college in
Sioux Falls, S.D., from 1991 to 1996. She joined the English
faculty there in 1986, and received the Burlington Northern Award
for Excellence in Teaching.
The author of many published works on Victorian literature,
women's literature, and trends in educational technology, Will
earned her master's and doctoral degrees in English from the
University of Illinois, Champaign/Urbana. She studied at Carleton
College, Northfield, Minn., and completed her Bachelor of Arts
degree at Tufts University, Medford, Mass., in 1974. Tufts also
awarded her an honorary doctorate in 2002.
As president of Whittier College, Will completed the
facilitation of a comprehensive strategic planning process, which
produced a 10-year plan for the college. She oversaw Whittier's
10-year reaffirmation of accreditation by the Western Association
of Schools and Colleges, and recently worked with the board of
trustees to complete fundraising for a $15 million technological
upgrade and expansion of Whittier's library and information
technology center.
Founded in 1832, Gettysburg College has 2,500 students
located on a 200-acre campus adjacent to the Gettysburg National
Military Park.
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* Patricia A. Lawson is associate vice president,
communications/public relations for Gettysburg College.
More information about Gettysburg College can be found at
http://www.gettysburg.edu on the Web.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://www.elca.org/news
