Hochstettler Inaugurated as Lewis & Clark’s 23rd President

The traditional Zulu song “Siyahamba” and the “Alleluia” from Johann Sebastian Bach’s motet Lobet den Herrn marked Thomas J. Hochstettler’s inauguration as the College’s 23rd president on March 6, 2005. The ceremony capped a jam-packed weekend of events that included Family Weekend and the 40th annual International Fair.

Hochstettler’s address, titled “The Imperative to Explore,” examined the challenges and opportunities that face higher education including the technology revolution, traditional learning models, global competition, and the cost of higher education. His remarks focused on an academic community’s responsibility to help students navigate the changing world through learning, scholarship, and preparation for world citizenship. Colleges and universities have a set of common values, Hochstettler said, which includes a responsibility to educate the whole student and foster in each student the imperative to explore.

Those who attended the inauguration will no doubt remember the remarkable weather: sunny skies with temperatures in the upper 60s. “Let us say that we are basking in ‘Hochstettler weather,’” quipped keynote speaker Paul Bragdon, Reed College president emeritus and former interim president at Lewis & Clark. “And may it be an omen of seizing the opportunities presented and meeting all challenges—as has been the [College’s] case in the past.”

A diverse group of Lewis & Clark students carry colorful flags from several countries: international students wearing the native attire of their home countries; American students who have lived abroad; and Third Culture Kids, U.S. and non-U.S. citizens who have grown up overseas or lived overseas for a significant amount of time.

Carol Witherell, now professor emerita of education in Lewis & Clark's Graduate School of Education and Counseling, prepares for the faculty processional.

Representatives from more than 70 colleges and universities around the world — including Yale University, Wellesley College, Harvard University, Cornell University, and the University of Cologne—gather for the inauguration.

Aaron Beck, associate professor of music, celebrates the occasion with his son, Alexander.

President Hochstettler delivers his inaugural address, titled “The Imperative to Explore."

After the ceremony, President Hochstettler shares a hearty laugh with Reed College President Emeritus Paul Bragdon, who delivered the keynote address.