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Oglethorpe University Names Large as New
President
Atlanta - At a press conference today, Oglethorpe
University announced Larry D. Large as its new president.
Large, executive vice president of Reed College in Portland,
Ore., was elected Oglethorpe's 15th president at a meeting of the
board of trustees yesterday. He will assume office April 1, 1999 at
which time current President Donald S. Stanton, who is retiring June
30, 1999, will become president emeritus.
"I'm looking forward to the opportunities and challenges of the
presidency of Oglethorpe University," said Large. "Oglethorpe has a
rich history, a strong academic program in the liberal arts, an
outstanding faculty and student body, and committed leadership by
the board of trustees. Those characteristics are among the many
reasons this position and institution are so attractive. I feel
honored to have been chosen.
"In addition," he continued, "my wife, Marsha, and I look forward
to living in Atlanta and becoming part of this vital urban
community."
Large's extensive experience in a variety of areas of higher
education administration and the similarity of Reed and Oglethorpe
were cited as critical factors in the decision to select Large,
according to Jesse Hall, chairman of the board of trustees and
co-chair of the search committee. The committee met October 24 and
presented Large as the candidate of choice at a special meeting of
the full board Wednesday afternoon.
"We talked to a number of excellent candidates," said Hall,
retired executive vice president of SunTrust Banks. "Larry's
background was the most impressive and he clearly best fits our
needs. Reed is a highly respected liberal arts college with similar
academics and enrollment to Oglethorpe, and the board felt that he
was eminently qualified to understand Oglethorpe and the direction
in which it needs to go."
Both Oglethorpe and Reed are classified as Baccalaureate I (BA-1)
institutions by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of
Teaching. The classification means the schools are highly selective
liberal arts institutions. There are 161 BA-1 schools in the United
States; Oglethorpe is the only co-educational BA-I school in
Georgia.
Large returned to Reed in 1995 as executive vice president,
having previously served there as vice-president for development and
college relations from 1982 to 1987. During the intervening years,
he was vice chancellor of public affairs for the Oregon University
System and vice president for public affairs and development for the
University of Oregon.
As executive vice president of Reed, he is the chief advisor to
the president on strategic positioning and policy formation and the
main administrative liaison with the board of trustees. He has
direct oversight for government relations, fundraising, public
relations, news, publications, alumni relations, and the school’s
highly acclaimed art gallery.
Large has been praised by colleagues for his outstanding
contributions to the cause of higher education in Oregon where he
has worked effectively with the state legislature on a wide-range of
postsecondary-related issues, including health care, faculty
productivity, tuition policy, and statewide work force issues. He
has also taught a course on financing higher education at the
University of Oregon, where he served as an adjunct professor.
Respected nationally as an authority on matters relating to
higher education, Large has served as a consultant to many
educational institutions. His many publications and presentations
include a speech to the Education Writers of America on "What’s
Missing? And What’s Next? What the public hasn’t been told about the
changes in higher education."
As president, Large has been charged with successfully concluding
Oglethorpe's current $35 million campaign, increasing the endowment
and meeting enrollment goals outlined in the plan "Strategic
Initiatives for the Twenty-First Century." The campaign, called "The
Oglethorpe Opportunity: A $35 Million Quest," has raised over $26
million and is scheduled to conclude December 31, 1999. Oglethorpe's
endowment stands at $22 million and it plans to increase enrollment
to 1,500.
Large has directed campaign efforts of $60 million and $45
million as well as overseeing Reed's current campaign of $80
million. Reed's endowment is $247 million; when Large began at Reed
in 1982, the endowment was $15.2 million. He also has been
responsible for the admission function at various stages of his
administrative career.
"I believe Dr. Large will be an outstanding president at
Oglethorpe University," said Stanton, who has been president of
Oglethorpe since 1988. "His background in the liberal arts and
advancement, and his leadership at Reed College, an exceptional
Baccalaureate I institution, suit him ideally to accomplish the
University’s goals for the future. I commend the outstanding work of
the search committee, each member of whom worked diligently to
assess the strengths of many fine candidates. It also is gratifying
to me personally that I can retire on June 30 knowing Oglethorpe is
in very capable hands. I look forward to working with Dr. Large
between now and then to assist him in any way I can to ensure a
smooth transition."
Large graduated from Portland State University in 1964 with a
degree in psychology, earned his master's in history and education
and then his doctorate in education from the University of Oregon in
1974. He began his career in the Oregon University System in
admission, student services, academic counseling and financial aid.
From 1972 to 1982, he served as vice-president for student
affairs, vice president for administration, acting president and
vice president for university relations at Willamette University in
Salem, Ore.
He is also very engaged with the Portland community and currently
serves as board chairman for a local theater company.
Large, 58, and wife, Marsha, have four children.
The search committee was co-chaired by Hall and John J. Scalley,
retired executive vice-president of Genuine Parts Co. The committee
also included board of trustee members Belle Turner Cross, William
R. Goodell, Harald R. Hansen, Gary C. Harden and Warren Y. Jobe;
faculty members Robert A. Blumenthal, professor of mathematics, and
Alan N. Woolfolk, professor of sociology; and student Catherine
Borck, a senior.
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