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Oglethorpe Says Goodbye to Dr. Knott;
Welcomes Two New Faces
Atlanta – On Friday, June 29, Oglethorpe University will
bid farewell to John Knott, Executive Vice President and 30-year
veteran of Oglethorpe University.
A native of Durham, N.C., Knott earned his bachelor's degree from
the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1963 and his
master's degree from Duke University in 1966. After receiving his
Ph.D. in religion from Emory University in 1971, he became a
dedicated professor of philosophy at Oglethorpe. In 1973, he became
chief financial officer of the university, but it wasn't until 1975
that he gave up his teaching responsibilities.
While chief executive officer, Knott contributed to the
reformation of Oglethorpe University into a selective liberal arts
institution. In 1986 he became executive vice president where he
oversaw admission and financial aid for the university. In the 30
years of Knott's meticulous service, he was able to balance the
budget each year.
Knott has worked at Oglethorpe for over half of his life, serving
under four university presidents. He donated his limited spare time
to organizations such as the Cambridge Park Association, the Silver
Lake Civic Association, the Atlanta Rotary Club and more recently,
the Bald Head Island Conservancy.
His distinguished and influential career, his wisdom of business
affairs and his faithful guidance and selfless devotion to
Oglethorpe University has made him an invaluable asset to the
community, faculty, staff and especially to the students of this
university.
Dr. Knott, we will miss you!
Oglethorpe Welcomes Two New Members of the Faculty and Staff
This summer has seen the arrival of two prominent figures to
Oglethorpe University. Christopher Ames, the new provost, and Jim
Hakes, the new vice president for business and finance, are both
experiencing life as "the new guy on campus."
Christopher Ames, Provost
After a two-year national search, Christopher Ames,
chair of the Department of English at Agnes Scott College in
Atlanta, was chosen to replace Vicky Weiss, interim provost, who
became vice president for university relations in June 2001.
"I am looking forward to Dr. Ames joining us at Oglethorpe," said
Large. "With his background in the liberal arts and his
administrative abilities he is the person we want to lead the
academic component of Oglethorpe University."
Ames came to Oglethorpe from Agnes Scott, where he was the Charles
A. Dana professor of English and taught courses in modern British
fiction, film study, postmodern fiction and the teaching of
literature. While at Agnes Scott, Ames received such academic honors
as a Dupont Grant for Developing Instructional Technology, a Fleur
Cowles Fellowship from the Humanities Research Center at University
of Texas, Austin, and a Choice Outstanding Academic Book Award.
"I'm excited about working with new vice presidents and with
President Large," said Ames. "I hope to help Oglethorpe and its
experienced and dedicated faculty build upon its growing national
reputation as a college of academic excellence."
Ames is the author of Movies About the Movies: Hollywood Reflected
(1997) and The Life of the Party: Festive Vision in Modern Fiction
(1991). Prior to joining Agnes Scott, Ames served as an instructor
at The Thacher School in Ojai, California and a lecturer at Stanford
University.
Ames earned his bachelor's degree in multidisciplinary liberal arts
from the University of Texas, Austin. He earned his Ph.D. in English
literature from Stanford University.
"Chris Ames has an impressive background of scholarly achievement
plus experience at a quality liberal arts institution" said Philip
Zinsmeister, professor of biology and chair of the provost search
committee. "He is prepared to quickly grasp how things work at
Oglethorpe and to provide leadership for strengthening our academic
programs."
Active in professional organizations, Ames was a representative for
Agnes Scott in the Conference of American Council of Learned
Societies. He has participated in such programs as the National
Conference on Community College Transfer, the Freshman Year
Experience Conference at the University of South Carolina, the
Colloquy on the Liberal Arts at Rollins College, and the American
Association of Higher Education Conference on Faculty Roles and
Rewards. In addition to numerous awards, Ames has presented and
published a number of articles and papers.
"In addition to welcoming Dr. Ames," said Large, "I also want to
thank Vicky Weiss for her major contributions as interim provost."
James T. Hakes, Vice President for Business and Finance of
Oglethorpe University
James T. Hakes of St. Louis Missouri was named vice president for
business and finance of Oglethorpe University on March 5, 2001 by
Oglethorpe President Larry D. Large. Hakes will replace Dr. John B.
Knott on June 15, 2001. Dr. Knott is retiring on July 1 after 30
years at Oglethorpe.
"I anticipate Jim will bring fresh and innovative ideas to the job
of managing the university's business affairs," said Large. "He
brings a solid foundation from his positions at similar institutions
and is clearly a senior professional who will be a contributing
partner with other Oglethorpe senior staff as we pursue out
ambitious agenda for the future."
Hakes came to Oglethorpe from the Mary Institute and St. Louis
Country Day School (MICDS) in Ladue, Missouri where he was the
director of business and finance and responsible for all business
support, facilities and finance functions. MICDS is one of the
nation's leading preparatory schools.
Prior to joining MICDS, Hakes was vice president for finance and
treasurer at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois and was vice
president for business affairs and treasurer at Cornell College in
Mt. Vernon, Iowa until 1992.
"I am looking forward to joining a school with a great
reputation," said Hakes. "I hope my experience will help the school
continue to manage its finances."
Hakes received his bachelor's degree in economics and business
administration from Wheaton College. He earned his MBA from Katz
Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of
Pittsburgh.
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