Vice Provost at the University Ofvermont Named Haverford College's 12Th President
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Fall1996 N W S LETT R Vice Provost at the University ofVermont Named Haverford College's 12th President were considered. In making the announcement, that he became a member of the Society of John B. Hurford, chair of the college's board of Friends. managers, said, "Tom Trinon brings ro In 1973 Tritton completed a Ph.D. degree Haverford the rare combination of extensive in biophysical chemi rry at Boston University administrative experience, excellent academic and went on to do postdoctoral work in the Tom Tritton brings credentials and a moral and ethical framework chemistry deparrmem at Yale University. From to Haverford the grounded in Quaker principles. In light of these 1975 to 1985 he wa.s a member of the pharma qualities, he is a most fining choice ro succeed cology faculty at Yale Medical School. His rare combination Tom Kessinger. " research ha.s focused on both antimicrobial and ofextensive A cancer research specialist, Trinon ha.s been anticancer drugs because of his ".. .long standing a member of the faculty at the University of interest in employing science to relieve human administrative Vermont's College of Medicine where he ha.s suffering." had a joint appoinunem a.s a professor of phar Over the pa.st 20 years Tritton ha.s been con experience, excellent macology and cell and molecular biology since tinuously funded by the Nationallnsrirutes of academic credentials 1985. In 1991 , he wa.s appointed vice provost. Health and the American Cancer Society for his Thomas R. Tritton As vice provost, he provides oversight for research in cancer chemotherapy. and a moral and the university's research programs, the school's In 1987, Tritton co-chaired the first ethical framework ONTHE WEEKEND OF academic and administrative computing and international symposium on organ directed toxi NOVEMBER 16. Haverford 's board of information technology operations and all uni cities of cancer drugs in Burlington, and the fol grounded in Quaker managers announced the .selection ofThoma.s versity arts programs including the Fleming lowing year he chaired the Gordon Research principles. R Trinon, the vice provost at the University of Museum, the largest fme arts museum in Conference on cancer chemotherapy, an annual Vermom, a.s Haverford College's rwelfth presi Vermont. Tritton traces his interest in pursuing meeting of 135 prominent cancer specialists at dem effective July 1, 199'7. Trinon's appoint an academic career to his undergraduate years at Colby-Sawyer College in New London, New mem concluded a six-month search in which Ohio Wesleyan University, where he received a Hampshire. more than 200 candidates and nominations degree in chemistry in 1969. It wa.s also there Continued on page 3 Haverford's Honor Code Turns 100 A CENTURY AGO. onJanuary 7, 1897, Haverford College President Isaac Sharpless presented a non descript piece of paper to members of the faculry. None of them could have ever imagined how that tiny document would mold the future character of Haverford College. Containing the signatures of the majoriry of the freshman class, the document petitioned Sharpless and the fa ulry "to have examinations held on an honor basis and to have entire (stu dent) control in managing any possible cases of cheating." It was a bold request considering only years earlier students were forbidden to visit one another in their tiny five by nine-foot quarters in Founders' Hall, nor was unnecessary conversation tolerated. even in a whisper. Bur one week later, on January 14, 1897, the faculry granted. the Class of 1900' request, and. Haverford's first The original Ho nor System -granting students the right to take exams on an honor "Honor System" was born. Approved. basis - was created not Long after this classics examination was conducted by on an experimental basis, it allowed. the Professor Wilfred Mustard. class of 1900 to take their own mid Like many Haverford students before them, members ofthe Class of 1963, term and. final exams without a faculty including former president Tom Kessinger (fifth name from top) and Director of ,, Athletics Greg Kannerstein (fourth from bottom), signed a book pledging their Continued on page 2 a!Legience to the Ho nor Code. Page2 Student o1r1 Presidential Search Honor Code Turns 100 continued Committe ~ e Looks Back on an proctor. By the fall of 1901 all of of control over social as well as acade- Haverford's students lived under the mtc tssues. ''Amazing Experience" Honor System. Ever since, the student run Honor System, later re-named The 1962: After the tragic sui T.nminutes before ~is first meeting as a member of Haverford's presi Honor Code, has defined academic life cide of a student during final exam dential search committee, Man Jennings, '99 had the sudden realization at Haverford. week, Kent Smith, '63 proposed the that his life was going to get serious - very serious. As Haverford celebrates its 100- concept of self-scheduled final and year anniversary of the student-nwl mid-term examinations. Students He ran back to his dorm room, changed out of his blue jeans, pur Honor Code, the practice of unproc quickly developed the familiar phrase on his good khakis and a pressed shirt and then embarked upon the fust tored examinations still exists. But "form, contem and degree of difficul day of six months of imense work as a student member of Haverford's from that early tenet of student ty" as a reminder not to discuss the presidential search committee. accountability, Haverford's Honor exams with their peers. In mid-November, less than a week after the board of managers Code has grown to encompass all aspects of academic and social life on As the selected Thomas R. Trit:ton as the twelfth president of Haverford Late 1960s: campus. counterculture made inroads into College, Jennings reflected on his intense involvement as one of only To commemorate this anniversary, Haverford's campus, drug use on cam two student representatives on the presidential search committee- a an exhibit will be on display in the pus became an issue. After much heat group he likened to a dose-knit family that not only taught him the lobby of Magill Library through ed debate, the use of drugs and alcohol February. Here are some of the land finer points of interviewing and as well as most social issues on campus mark moments in the evolution of the were placed under the Honor Code's evaluation, but expected him to Honor System to the current Honor jurisdiction. The foundations of mutu frequently articulate his opinions. Code: al respect and concern for others were "It was an amazing experi also incorporated into the code. ence," Jennings said. "From the 1901: Haverford's first Students Association is elected with the After a special stu very beginning the student 1983: responsibility of self government. Five dent, faculry and alumni committee representatives were taken very years later Sharpless noted that "The released a report that pinpointed short seriously. I didn't expect that as a absence of restrictions on student con comings in the procedural aspects of student on the committee I was duct has led to a development of the carrying out the Honor Code, the going to be given such a fair feeling of responsibility for the morals entire student body participated in a and ruscipline ofthe college and has landmark ali-day meeting in the col amount of responsibility." resulted in the lessening of friction, the lege's field house. As a result, a variety That responsibility included increase of faculty influence and more of initiatives and student committees the daunting task of representing efficient government." were spearheaded to address the short the varied opinions and feelings of comings. The period after the report 1,100 fellow students. He said the 193 7: The code was: was considered a rime of strengthening defined in terms of academic honesty and renewal for the Honor Code. importance of that role became and included the concept of confronta extremely clear the first time a tion and penalties for infringement. Matt j ennings, '99 stands with the Early 1990's: As member of the board of managers the volatile issues of political correct good company offormer Haverford As World II ness and speech codes emered the aca College President SamueL James asked him to present the student 1940s: ~'a r closed, Haverford experienced an demic arena, Haverford students Gummere, an astronomer and scholar point of view on the search. influx of older, more mature students debated how to address the topic in who Led the college from 1863 to 1874. Jennings was also assigned to who sought greater autonomy regard the framework of the Honor Code. jennings was one oftwo slcudents who a subcommittee that read through ing their own social conduct - particu Appeals to add particular clauses that served on Haverford 's presidential more than 200 resumes and cover larly when it carne to rules regarding addressed hate speech were turned search committee this past year. letters received from prospective female visitors. The Honor Code was down by the student body in favor of amended to give students their Hrst bit the existing "mutual respect" clause. candidates. He, along with eight other subcommittee members, were responsible for pointing out especially strong applicants to the overall search committee. Jennings said the experience ultimately taught him how to interact and work with a varied group of individuals - from heads of corpora Foundation Grant Will Upgrade tions, to professors and administrators. He also learned the importance of confidentiality regarding board discussions and candidates. But what Science Equif•ment made the experience particularly rewarding for him were the friendships he forged with members of the Haverford community that, as a student, T HANKS TO A FIVE-YEAR.