Presidents of
Grove City College
P R E FA C E This book was published in recognition of the Inauguration of Grove City College’s ninth President The Hon. Paul J. McNulty ’80 on Monday, March 23, 2015.
PRESIDENTS OF GROVE CITY COLLEGE Isaac Conrad Ketler
1876 – 1913
Alexander Thomas Ormond
1913 – 1915
Weir Carlyle Ketler ’08
1916 – 1956
John Stanley Harker ’25
1956 – 1971
Charles Sherrard MacKenzie
1971 – 1991
Jerry Hugh Combee
1991 – 1995
John Hampton Moore
1996 – 2003
Richard Gordon Jewell ’67
2003 – 2014
Paul Joseph McNulty ’80
2014 –
About Grove City College Grove City College was founded in 1876. From our inception we have endeavored to provide our students with an excellent Christ-centered, non-sectarian education at an affordable cost. The College offers rigorous liberal arts education with an exceptionally strong STEM program taught by a highly respected and dedicated faculty called to serve both the minds and hearts of our students. With over 50 programs of study and a curriculum designed to educate in a holistic and personalized manner, students are equipped with both specialized knowledge in their chosen major as well as the tools to think and communicate to be leaders across a diverse range of professional fields and vocations. Blessed with a strikingly beautiful, increasingly diverse and friendly campus and located in a picturesque Pennsylvania town an hour north of Pittsburgh, Grove City College offers our 2,500 students a campus life of robust learning and living in the classroom, sports, the arts, community service, and other extracurricular activities. Students enjoy a thriving spiritual life as part of a community that values the foundation of faith. When they graduate, nearly everyone is employed or in graduate school within six months and they become part of a worldwide alumni association that affords close personal and professional relationships for a lifetime. Most importantly, they leave ready to be servant-leaders in their communities with courage and conviction. We practice what we preach. Coupled with its superior academic programs in a Christian environment, Grove City College remains remarkably affordable and is a top value college in the nation. The College operates on a balanced budget, refuses federal aid and remains virtually debt-free, proving that higher education can operate responsibly by delivering a first-rate education without government funding or mandates. We champion freedom in the marketplace and America’s heritage of ordered liberty. For more information on Grove City College visit www.gcc.edu.
In the Beginning … “I knew the community and its interest in education; and a railroad had recently been completed in the town. I thought there was an opportunity to develop a school there.” - Dr. Isaac C. Ketler, first President of Grove City College, 1876-1913, “Adventures in Education”
In 1875, the leaders of Pine Grove, Pennsylvania discussed the need for a select school to prepare children for business, teaching and college. They decided to hire 23-year-old Isaac Ketler, who at the time was studying at the National Normal University in Lebanon, Ohio. He moved to Pine Grove with plans for this small school. Ketler’s family warned him that it was a risky venture but Isaac believed in the small town. The first semester in the spring of 1876 had only 13 students, but by the next semester the school had grown and become a Normal Academy. Its purpose was two-fold: To maintain the college preparatory program and add a teacher training program. Within two years, enrollment skyrocketed to over 200 students and by 1879 the community helped to erect Recitation Hall, the first collegiate building originally located on lower campus near where the current Carnegie Alumni Center now stands. Each year new majors and faculty were added to the program and the trustees discussed converting from a Normal Academy to a full College. In 1884, the same year the town of Pine Grove changed its name to Grove City, the trustees signed a charter to establish Grove City College. Despite the growing curriculum, faculty and status, Ketler aimed to maintain the school’s true purpose: To provide a quality and affordable education for anyone who desired one.
Recitation Hall in 1879
Dr. Isaac C. Ketler FIRST PRESIDENT OF GROVE CITY COLLEGE 1876-1913
“It would be impossible, if not undesirable, to detail the struggles, the trials, the sacrifices, the dark hour’s incident to the realization of a deeply cherished end, trials, almost hardships, without which no really great work for mankind has ever been done, and which in the case of this institution became the elements of its strength and power.” – President Isaac C. Ketler “Adventures in Education”
Born in 1853 in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Isaac C. Ketler was a lifelong advocate of education. At age 16, he left home to attend Edinboro Normal School. For a short time after graduation, he taught in Scrubgrass, Pennsylvania, before enrolling at the National Normal University in Lebanon, Ohio. From there he began his true life’s journey to lead a small, newly-established school in Pine Grove, Pennsylvania, which would one day transform into Grove City College. He was only 23 years old. In 1878, Ketler married Matilda G. Gilson and together they had three sons, Frank, Weir and William. By age 35, Ketler had earned master’s, doctoral and divinity degrees from numerous institutions. On campus, he served as much more than just President. He taught courses and served as College Pastor. Every summer, he led and organized the Annual Bible Conference that attracted famous speakers and attendees from all over the world. Ketler died in office in 1913 from undiagnosed appendicitis.
Dr. Alexander T. Ormond SECOND PRESIDENT OF GROVE CITY COLLEGE 1913-1915
“From the beginning of its history, Grove City College has consistently adhered in its policy to two democratic principles. It has been opposed to the growth of social class distinctions … It has been the policy of the College to keep the cost of education to the student down to a figure that can be met by those in moderate circumstances.” – President Ormond from his Inaugural Speech in 1913
Alexander T. Ormond was born in 1847 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. He attended Miami University of Ohio for one year before transferring to Princeton University. There, he earned his bachelor’s degree in 1877, master’s in 1878 and doctorate in 1880. In 1884, he married Mary Huston and together they had six children. He taught history and philosophy at the University of Minnesota for three years before returning to Princeton where he served as the chairman of the philosophy department. An author and well-known philosopher in the academic community, every summer he served as an instructor for the Annual Bible Conference where he and Isaac Ketler became close friends. Upon Ketler’s death, the Trustees of the College called upon Ormond to serve as the second president of Grove City College. Ormond aimed to increase the size and integrity of the faculty, revise the curriculum, and propose a call for a $1 million endowment to erect a new recitation building, chapel and library. His goal was to raise Grove City College’s academic standards to the level of Princeton and Harvard. While at Grove City, he also served as the head of the philosophy department and created the Songs of Grove City, a hymnal dedicated to the College that would be sung every Friday in the chapel. He died suddenly in 1915 due to a heart attack.
Dr. Weir C. Ketler ’08 THIRD PRESIDENT OF GROVE CITY COLLEGE 1916-1956
“The College is more than a campus and buildings, more than a student body and faculty. It is a spiritual body which includes all who believe in its mission.” – President Weir C. Ketler from the Acceptance of Alumni Hall; June 6, 1953
Weir C. Ketler was born in Grove City, Pennsylvania, in 1889. One of three sons of the founder Isaac C. Ketler, he graduated from Grove City College in 1908. He taught at the College for a brief time before attending Yale for a second bachelor’s degree. After Yale, he returned to the College to teach algebra, geometry, history and politics, as well as coach basketball. In 1914 he was named Assistant to President to Alexander T. Ormond to aid in the business aspects of the College. He was named Acting President after Ormond’s death. In 1916, the trustees unanimously named Weir Ketler, then just 27 years old, College President. Weir Ketler never intended to be the president of Grove City College, but dedicated his entire life to the College and fulfilling his father’s dream. He carried the school through some of our nation’s most trying times, including World War I, the Great Depression, World War II and the Cold War. He was instrumental in developing “upper campus,” including the upper quad designed by the notable Olmsted Brothers. Ketler retired in 1956 and served on the Board of Trustees until his death in 1987.
Dr. J. Stanley Harker ’25 FOURTH PRESIDENT OF GROVE CITY COLLEGE 1956-1971
“What Grove City stands for must never be changed, regardless of all the pressures for change, since it is only after you have left Grove City that you realize how deeply these principles have shaped your character.” – President Harker from his Inaugural Speech in 1956
J. Stanley Harker was born in Wrightstown, New Jersey, in 1903 and graduated from Grove City College in 1925. As a student, he attended a Sunday school class taught by Dr. Alva J. Calderwood, and there met Dr. Calderwood’s daughter Helen ’23. The two married and had three daughters. He attended McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, earning a bachelor’s degree in 1928. He also earned a master’s and Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh. Harker served as a pastor for various Presbyterian churches in New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio. In 1951, he became the president of Alma College in Alma, Michigan. In 1956, Harker was chosen as the fourth president of Grove City College. During his tenure, Harker instituted the Dean’s list, dramatically increased the library collection and membership among the ranks of the faculty. Several buildings were constructed during his time such as Helen Harker Hall, Hoyt Hall of Engineering, Hicks Hall and the former Calderwood Hall. The student-body increased from 1,200 to 2,056 and faculty members went from 80 to 120. He challenged the American Association of University Professors over the issue of professor tenure. To this day, the College maintains a no-tenure policy for professors. Harker retired in 1971 and passed away in 1984.
Dr. Charles S. MacKenzie FIFTH PRESIDENT OF GROVE CITY COLLEGE 1971-1991
“The heritage and destiny of Grove City College, she will go on to greater and greater accomplishments in the future. If she seeks to apply those timeless principles in new and creative ways, she will stand out in stark contrast to most other schools. Then all that is past will be but prelude and preparation for her future greatness.” – President MacKenzie during his farewell interview in 1991
Charles S. MacKenzie was born in 1924 in Quincy, Massachusetts. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Gordon College in 1949 before earning a Ph.D. and Th.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary. He served as a Presbyterian minister in California, New Jersey and New York City, a social worker in Boston and as a chaplain in the U.S. Air Force. MacKenzie also taught at Union Seminary, Columbia, Stanford and Princeton before becoming the fifth President of Grove City College. MacKenzie’s greatest achievement was leading the College through the famous Grove City College v. Bell lawsuit. The College took its stand for private education and against government regulation of higher education all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. As a result of his efforts, Grove City College remained independent of government intervention and became one of the few colleges in America that does not accept federal funding. He also instituted the Keystone Curriculum, setting up a foundation grounded in a liberal arts education. He currently serves as a Distinguished Professor of Philosophy and Theology at the Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS), and as advisor to the president of the RTS. He has written several books and held various offices in the American Association of Independent Colleges and Universities and the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. He lives in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania.
Dr. Jerry H. Combee SIXTH PRESIDENT OF GROVE CITY COLLEGE 1991-1995
“Let us continue the principles preached and practiced by the Ketlers and the Pews. Let their ideals nothing more, nothing less serve as star and compass as Grove City College, with God’s guidance, steers toward the 21st century.” - President Combee from his Inaugural Speech in 1991
Jerry H. Combee graduated with bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Emory University and earned a Ph.D. in government from Cornell University. He served as dean of the School of Business and Government and chairman of the history and political science departments at Liberty University. As well as Liberty, he taught at Emory, Cornell and Case Western Reserve universities and is a prolific author. He served Grove City College as the Academic Dean and Vice President of Academic Affairs before being selected as President in 1991. Combee was instrumental in guiding the College into a position of national prominence through modern approaches to marketing and public relations initiatives. He led a pioneering computer initiative which provided every incoming freshman a laptop computer, a popular practice still in use today. Combee departed the College in 1995.
Dr. John H. Moore SEVENTH PRESIDENT OF GROVE CITY COLLEGE 1996-2003
“We take the less traveled path at Grove City College. That is what puts us in position to make that difference” – President Moore excerpted from a 2003 issue of the College Alumni Magazine
John H. Moore arrived at Grove City College in June of 1996 and built upon the College’s legacy of academic excellence. He earned his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Michigan. Moore received a doctorate in economics from the University of Virginia. He has published numerous books and authored articles on science, policy and economics. He also served as a research chemist for Procter and Gamble. In 1985, Moore was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to serve as deputy director of the National Science Foundation. In 1990, Moore served as an administrator and faculty member at George Mason University where he was the director of the University’s International Institute. He held posts as associate director and senior fellow of The Hoover Institution and the associate director of the Law & Economics Center at the University of Miami. Moore has been a member of the faculty and staff at the Universities of Virginia, Miami and Emory. He led Grove City College through its landmark withdrawal from federal student loan programs, which secured the College’s complete independence from the government. As an experienced international educator, Moore encouraged the College to prepare students for Rhodes and Fulbright scholarships and instituted student exchange programs in Japan and South Korea. He played an instrumental role in the College’s 125th anniversary celebration in 2001 before retiring in 2003.
Dr. Richard G. Jewell ’67 EIGHTH PRESIDENT OF GROVE CITY COLLEGE 2003-2014
“Few schools of higher education in America today understand, let alone have remained true to, their heritage and founding principles.” – President Jewell from his Inauguration Speech; Nov. 15, 2003
Richard G. Jewell is an active advocate for Grove City College and the region. After earning his Juris Doctorate at the University of Michigan in 1973, he served on the Alumni Council and Board of Trustees across the years leading up to his appointment to the post of president. A longtime resident of Bethel Park, Jewell joined Grove City College from the Pittsburgh location of Chicago-based Navigant Consulting Inc., one of the nation’s largest forensic accounting firms, where he was a director. During his tenure at Grove City College, academic and spiritual growth proved an abundant part of student success. The campus saw major new construction including Breen Student Union, Colonial Hall Apartments, Rathburn Hall and STEM Hall among many major renovations and significant upgrades to additional campus buildings. Jewell started and ended his term amidst two historical capital campaigns which championed record charitable giving to the College. The second campaign, the largest ever in College history, generated over $90 million. Jewell retired from the presidency in the spring of 2014, but has continued to serve the College as President Emeritus and as a development officer, where he helps garner support for the important goals and objectives of the College.
The Honorable Paul J. McNulty ’80 NINTH PRESIDENT OF GROVE CITY COLLEGE 2014-PRESENT
“This amazing, transformative connection, which our College founders knew so well, should unite us as a community. It transcends denominational differences. It invites all of us to explore the vast riches of God’s creation, to learn what it means to be fully human.” – An excerpt from President McNulty’s Fall 2014 Convocation address
Paul J. McNulty is Grove City College’s ninth President. His new calling follows a long and distinguished career as an attorney in public service and private practice, and valuable experience in higher education. President McNulty is a former U.S. Deputy Attorney General and is Of Counsel with the global law firm Baker & McKenzie. He oversaw the prosecution of terrorists in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, set policy for prosecuting corporate fraud and is considered a leading expert on business ethics, corporate governance and internal investigations. McNulty is the fourth alumnus to serve as President of the College, where he studied history and met his wife, Brenda (Millican ’80). At Baker & McKenzie, McNulty led the firm’s global corporate compliance and investigations practice. He has been recognized by the National Law Journal as one of the top 50 “Trailblazers and Pioneers in Corporate Governance and Compliance,” selected as the sole recipient of Ethisphere magazine’s “Hall of Fame” designation in its 2014 “Attorneys Who Matter” rankings, and listed as one of “2014’s Most Influential People in Business Ethics.”
He is widely known for his leadership at the U.S. Department of Justice, where he served as the Deputy Attorney General, the second highest-ranking official in the Justice Department and the chief operating officer leading more than 100,000 employees. He chaired President George W. Bush’s Corporate Fraud Task Force, successfully argued a police conduct case before the U.S. Supreme Court, organized the U.S. rule of law efforts in Iraq, and authored the so-called “McNulty Memo,” which served as a milestone statement on the federal prosecution of business organizations. McNulty was confirmed by the Senate as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia three days after the Sept. 11 attacks and, as the chief law enforcement authority in one of the country’s most important federal districts, was subsequently entrusted with many high-profile terrorist prosecutions. He held other positions at the Department of Justice and received the Edmund J. Randolph Award, the Department’s highest honor. McNulty’s career includes 11 years as a senior lawyer on Capitol Hill where he served as Counsel for the House Ethics Committee, the Chief Counsel and Director of Legislative Operations for the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, and Chief Counsel for the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Crime. McNulty served on the Grove City College Board of Trustees from 2004 to 2014, chairing the Enrollment and Student Affairs Committee for six years. Following his Commencement Address in 2007, he received an honorary doctorate from his alma mater; he received the Jack Kennedy Memorial Alumni Achievement Award in 1998. He also served the College as an adjunct instructor in the Political Science Department from 1994 to 2001. He was awarded an honorary LLD in 2003 from Capital University School of Law where he received his juris doctorate in 1983. He also served as a Presbyterian elder for 28 years and as a youth basketball coach. He sits on the Board of Directors of the Ethics Resource Center.
1876
Grove City College’s inaugural semester begins in the spring with 13 students enrolled. By fall it grows into a Normal Academy. With Dr. Isaac C. Ketler, first president of the College, at the helm, enrollment skyrockets within two years to over 200. In 1879 the College erects its very first building, Recitation Hall.
Recitation Hall in 1879
1910
President Isaac C. Ketler founds the Annual Bible Conference at Grove City College attracting theologians, philosophers and politicians worldwide. Politics, theology, pastoral studies, missionary endeavors and more were pursued and studied. Due to travel bans, the Conference was discontinued during World War II.
President Ketler (back row left) with members of the Grove City Bible Conference
1913
President Alexander T. Ormond, second president of the College, publishes “Songs of Grove City College,” a hymnal dedicated to the College that that becomes a musical tradition each Friday in Harbison Chapel. The collection was written and arranged by Hermann Poehlmann, director of the Music Conservatory at the College.
“Songs of Grove City College” hymnal
1930 Archival photo of the Quad
Building on upper campus continues during the Great Depression under third College President Weir C. Ketler and includes Harbison Chapel, Mary Anderson Pew Dormitory, Rockwell Hall of Science, Isaac Ketler Dormitory and Crawford Hall. Historically significant, the famed landscape architects the Olmstead Brothers design the Upper Campus Quad. The Olmstead Brothers also designed the grounds of the United States Capitol, the White House and Central Park in New York City.
1964
Grove City College’s fourth president, J. Stanley Harker ’25, is instrumental in updating and expanding the collections in Henry Buhl Library. He is credited for maintaining very important state academic accreditation for the College. President Harker sees the number of volumes in Henry Buhl Library increase from 49,969 in 1956 to over 71,000 in 1960. Students catch up on current events inside The Henry Buhl Library
1984
Grove City College, led by fifth President Charles S. MacKenzie, argues its case against government control of private education in the landmark Supreme Court Case, Grove City College v. Bell. As a result of the lawsuit, the College begins to refuse all federal student aid to preserve and protect its independence from government oversight of academic programs and finances. That spirit is central to the College’s identity and extends into every area of its operation, including academic and financial independence. Grove City College is just one of a handful of institutions in the United States to refuse all federal funding.
President Charles S. MacKenzie outside the United States Supreme Court during the Grove City College v. Bell case
1994
New technology arrives in the hands of every incoming student at Grove City College. Led by the College’s sixth President Jerry H. Combee, laptops are provided to incoming freshmen under the Information Technology Initiative. The initiative ensures Grove City College remains workforce competitive in a world where the use of technology is increasing exponentially. Students today still receive a laptop and a printer/scanner/copier upon arriving at Grove City College.
President Combee joins Grove City College students gathering at the Quad on campus to show off their new laptops as part of the Information Technology Initiative
2002
Seventh College President John H. Moore celebrates the new Hall of Arts and Letters with a groundbreaking ceremony as Calderwood Hall makes room for a modern liberal arts building on campus. The Hall of Arts and Letters houses a lecture hall, as well as 40 classrooms, 80 faculty offices, the Hamilton Curriculum Library and language labs. Moore led the College during its successful capital campaign, Change & Commitment, which generated $20 million for student scholarships, $21 million to build the Hall of Arts and Letters and $4 million to expand the Pew Fine Arts Center.
President Moore breaks ground on the construction of the Hall of Arts and Letters with a ceremonial shovel.
2011
Laura Bush, former First Lady of the United States, speaks to Grove City College graduates at Commencement with Chairman of the Board of Trustees David Rathburn ’79 and Grove City College’s eighth President Richard G. Jewell ’67. In her Commencement address, the First Lady encourages graduates to continue to make a positive impact on the world by serving others, and to never forget that there are always those in need of a helping hand.
2014
After being named ninth President of Grove City College by the Board of Trustees, the Hon. Paul J. McNulty ’80 looks on with pride at the 2014 Commencement exercises. McNulty’s daughter Corrie was graduating.
CREDITS Published in recognition of the Inauguration of Grove City College’s ninth President Paul J. McNulty ’80. Jacquelyn Muller, Senior Director of Marketing & Communications Hilary (Lewis ’09) Walczak, College Archivist Ross Wyszomierski, Copywriter Justin Harbaugh, Art Director
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