Richard L. Morrill | |
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![]() Morrill in his office at Centre in 1984 | |
8th President of the University of Richmond | |
In office September 30, 1988 –June 30, 1998 | |
Preceded by | E. Bruce Heilman |
Succeeded by | William E. Cooper |
18th President of Centre College | |
In office June 1,1982 –1988 | |
Preceded by | Thomas A. Spragens |
Succeeded by | Michael F. Adams |
16th President of Salem College | |
In office August 1,1979 –June 1,1982 | |
Preceded by | Merrimon Cuninggim |
Succeeded by | Thomas V. Litzenburg Jr. |
Personal details | |
Born | Hingham,Massachusetts,U.S. | June 4,1939
Spouse | Martha Leahy (m. 1964) |
Education | Brown University (B.A.) Yale University (B.Div.) Duke University (Ph.D.) |
Richard Leslie Morrill (born June 4, 1939) is an American educator and former academic administrator who is the chancellor of the University of Richmond. He was president of Salem College, Centre College, and the University of Richmond for various periods between 1979 and 1998. He also currently holds the position of distinguished university professor of ethics and democratic values at Richmond.
Richard Leslie Morrill [1] was born in Hingham, Massachusetts, on June 4, 1939. [2] He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Brown University in 1961, graduating magna cum laude . He earned a Bachelor of Divinity degree in religious thought from Yale University in 1964 and a Ph.D. in religion from the Duke University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, where he was named a James B. Duke Fellow. [2] [3]
Morrill studied at the Paris Institute of Political Sciences as an undergraduate and later received an honorary degree from the École des Hautes Études Internationales. [3]
Morrill began his career in academia when he joined the faculty at Wells College in Aurora, New York, in 1967. [3] Afterwards, he taught at Chatham College—now Chatham University—in Pittsburgh. [2] He was appointed to his first position in administration at Chatham as executive assistant to president Edward D. Eddy [2] [4] and later associate provost. [3] In 1977, he became executive assistant to the provost at Pennsylvania State University while also holding a faculty position as associate professor of religion; he remained at Penn State for two years. [2]
Morrill was elected president of Salem College, a private women's liberal arts college in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in April 1979. [2] [5] He took office on August 1 of that year, making him Salem's sixteenth president. [6] His formal inauguration was held on October 16, 1979; during his inaugural addressed, he focused on the importance of keeping Salem a small liberal arts college. [7] He also noted his focus of Salem exclusively a women's college, in contrast to an "unspoken expectation" of coeducation nationwide. [8] In December 1980, Salem received a $350,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. [9] He began a five-year fundraiser with a $12.2 million goal, [10] of which Salem raised approximately half before Morrill's departure. [11] In June 1981, Salem broke ground on a new student life center, which was scheduled to open by September 1982 at a total cost of $2.1 million. [10]
Morrill accepted the presidency of Centre College, in Danville, Kentucky, on November 2, 1981. [11] [12] He was the commencement speaker at the school's graduation on May 30, 1982. [13] He officially assumed office on June 1, 1982, [14] and he was formally inaugurated as Centre's 18th president on Apri 23, 1983. [2] [15] In 1987, Centre hosted former US president Jimmy Carter as its commencement speaker. [16] During his time at Centre, he completed the "Fund for the Future" fundraising campaign, begun by Thomas A. Spragens, with nearly $40 million raised. The college surpassed its previous enrollment record during his tenure, secured a grant from the F. W. Olin Foundation to construct Franklin W. Olin Hall, and renovated Grace Doherty Library and Young Hall. [15]
Morrill left Centre to take the presidency of the University of Richmond and remained in that position for ten years. Upon leaving Richmond's presidency, he became the school's chancellor and was titled distinguished university professor of ethics and democratic values. [17]
Morrill became president of the Teagle Foundation in 2010. [15] He is currently a member of the advisory board of the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University and a senior consultant with the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges. [18] During his career, he was president of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, [3] and he was a member of the board of the Library of Virginia Foundation. [15]
Morrill married Martha Leahy in New Haven, Connecticut, on June 27, 1964. [19] They have two children. [3] Morrill is a member of the Ordre des Palmes académiques . [3]