Thomas R. Tritton presidential papers

Thomas R. Tritton became Haverford College's 12th President in July, 1997, and served for a decade, leaving in June, 2007. A Quaker and a cancer research expert, Tritton came from the University of Vermont, where he had been a pharmacology professor, vice provost, and had had oversight for computing and technology. He was also responsible for the University's performing arts and museum programs. The hallmark of his tenure at Haverford was the successful "Educating to Lead, Educating to Serve" campaign to raise $200 million. The primary goal was to raise capital and endowment funds for "Tritton's concept of integrated scholarship [which] implies the dissolution of boundaries across and between academic disciplines as well as among the various constituencies of the College." (Haverford Magazine, Fall 2006, p. 26). Two new buildings were constructed, the Marian E. Koshland Integrated Natural Sciences Center and the Douglas B. Gardner '83 Integrated Athletic Center, and two programs were established, the John B. Hurford '60 Humanities Center and Center for Peace and Global Citizenship. Endowments for faculty support and multicultural programs were also increased, although the original efforts to advance campus technology dropped in priority after 9/11. (Final Campaign Report, June 30, 2004, p. 64; Topical Series, Computing/IT file, 2002). Tritton was credited with bringing Haverford "from being a 'best-kept secret' to a position where our institutional accomplishments, profile and fund-raising reflect our academic stature and tradition." (Haverford Magazine, Fall 2006, p. 26). After leaving Haverford he became the second president of the Chemical Heritage Foundation, a research center for the history of science.