Egbert - G. Williams - Job - Dillingham - Phillips - Whalen
 A portrait of Howard Dillingham. |
President, Ithaca College, 1957-1970.
Howard Dillingham came to Ithaca College in 1951 as assistant to the president. He was promoted in 1953 to the role of vice president.
The official announcement of his appointment from Herman B. Muller, chairman of the College's board of trustees said:
"Dr. Dillingham has been with the College nearly five years, and has, through his work as vice president since 1953, demonstrated his competence as a college executive. The members of the Board of Trustees have great confidence in his ability to discharge the duties of this important and critical office."
Howard Dillingham was officially invested or inaugurated as president during a convocation on October 12, 1957. The event was held at the Presbyterian Church in downtown Ithaca.
I was unable to locate a printed program for this event, but copies of the speeches and the prayer are
available in the College archives.
 An Ithaca Journal announcement of Dillingham's official investiture as president of the College. |
Excerpts from the speech by Howard Dillingham on the occasion:
Our college communities follow the American college tradition. To a remarkable degree, college policy rests on a consensus of administration, faculty, and students. The degree of responsibility and authority exercised by each group is, to a large extent, determined by the willingness and competency of those participating. The remarkable degree of agreement, mutual trust, and confidence which characterizes the college community rests upon the maturity of its members and the recognition of common goals. Thus, the college provides a climate in which the democratic processes thrive....In a small college community such as ours, the emphasis should be on good communication. It is important that every member of our community know what is going on and why. He, in turn, should have an opportunity to be heard. The Student Council and the College newspaper carry a large share of the responsibility for maintaining good lines of communication among faculty, students, and administration of the College. Our emphasis, then, should be on information, consultation, and decisions based on consensus of all interest parties. We will thus fulfill our requirements of democratic living better than through a carefully prescribed system of faculty and student government.
Author: B. Bower, Ithaca College Archives. Last modified: Sunday, March 22, 1998 4:38:25 PM