There is nothing more exciting than getting to see history shift right before your eyes. Last night, Carthage faculty and staff were invited to a very special event in the student union – an opportunity to bid farewell to our outgoing president, Dr. F. Gregory Campbell and to welcome his successor, Dr. Gregory Woodward. Those of us who have been around for awhile (I began teaching at Carthage in 1991) can’t help but feel like the ground beneath our feet is trembling a bit. Dr. Campbell has been President Campbell for a full quarter of a century. In fact, yesterday was the 25th anniversary to the day of his first day on the job. And although the mood of last night’s event was celebratory, I’m glad that Dr. Woodward – in thanking his predecessor for his service to the school – reminded all of us there that when Dr. Campbell took the reins, Carthage’s student body had dwindled to only 800, the school was struggling just to make payroll, and it was a very real possibility that the college might not survive. But of course Carthage did survive – and although certain friends of the school with very deep pockets and generosity to match (like the late Donna Wolf Steigerwald, the owner of Jockey) played a vital role in sustaining Carthage through such perilous times, no one was more essential to the school’s survival than President Campbell himself. And under his assertive leadership, the school did more than just grind it out through tough times; it went on to thrive, growing both in size and stature to an extent that no one, President Campbell included, could possibly have foreseen.
Or maybe he did.
He has certainly earned the right to retire, especially after working so incredibly hard on behalf of the college for a full quarter century – but it would be very hard to feel good about his departure if there weren’t someone just as impressive succeeding him. And until last night, all I knew about Dr. Gregory Woodward was what I had read in the Carthaginian and heard from those who had met him. And everything I had learned about him, including his impressive credentials as a musician, were tremendously encouraging. But until last night, he was still someone that basically none of us knew at all.
That’s what last night’s event was really about – a chance for those of us in attendance to meet the new president and get some sense of what our new president was like. And I for one came away deeply impressed by Dr. Woodward. He is a truly brilliant man, and yet wears his brilliance comfortably with a slight air of self-deprecation that makes him much more approachable than he would otherwise be.
He likes to talk and gives the impression that he is holding nothing back, which I think is very reassuring, unlike those leaders whose words are so heavily measured and cautious that it feels like there are several layers of protective gauze between you and them. President Woodward expresses himself much more openly, which also conveys confidence.
He has a fantastic sense of humor, both in making people laugh and in enjoying the humor of others. This might not immediately seem like a particularly crucial trait for a college president to have, but in fact I think it’s one of the most valuable skills for a leader to have nowadays.
He is a man of vision – which is so important at this moment in Carthage’s history, when such astounding possibilities stretch before us. To draw on the parable of the three men with their various bags of gold, this is not a time for burying gold in the ground so nothing happens to it. This is a time for taking gold and doing amazing things with it.
After all that, I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention that Dr. Woodward is a man of music. I knew that he was a full professor of music and Dean of the School of Music at Ithaca College — but it was only after talking with him that I came to appreciate just what a brilliant musician he is – and how passionate he is about music. One thing worth noting about President Woodward is that he is a composer- that appears to have been the primary focus of his studies and of his life as a musician- and if any facet of music-making translates well into other arenas, it’s composition. It’s about putting things together- coming up with imaginative combinations- appreciating and creating beauty- and crafting vessels in which the gifts of others can shine.
There were so many people at last night’s event that I was resigned to not actually meeting Dr. Woodward and his wife until another occasion – and Kathy and I kept busy just catching up with all kinds of colleagues and friends. Towards the end, we were chatting with Jim and Kathy Ripley and having a terrific time- when we realized that basically everyone else had left except for the Woodwards and a couple of others. So we walked over, thinking we would say a very quick hello and then let the Woodwards head home to relax. Wrong! We ended up having a long and wonderful talk . . . mostly about music but about other matters as well. (One impressive moment was when Physics professor Kevin Crosby came over for a moment, and Dr. Woodward shifted into physics gear with no problem whatsoever. He may be a music guy, first and foremost, but his brilliance extends well beyond it.) And eventually our wives ended up in their own spirited discussion with Dr. Woodward’s wife, Penelope, who herself is a gifted and passionate middle school music educator. And repeatedly, President Woodward apologized for talking too much and keeping us from wherever we needed to go . . . as if there was anyplace on earth we would have preferred to be than talking with our new boss, both about our exciting past and present – and more importantly, about what promises to be an even more exciting future.
pictured above: At 5:00 there was a brief and moving ceremony in which Gregory and Barbara Campbell presented gifts to Gregory and Penelope Woodward: for the new president, a bright red blazer like the one that the outgoing president has worn so proudly – and for the new first lady, a lovely red top. As you can probably guess by now, RED is Carthage’s color. It was a neat moment – personal and warm and just right for the occasion.