Center for Environment & Society Supports Chestertown Greening

Read the article in the Chestertown Spy about how Washington College's Center for Environment and Society is using GIS technology to help increase Chestertown's tree canopy from 25% to 40% over the next decade:

http://www.chestertownspy.com/2009/07/2000-new-trees-for-ctown/

WCs Adam Goodheart in the New York Times

Adam Goodheart, Hodson Trust-Griswold Director of the C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience, has had an article published in
the New York Times Magazine. The piece offers a historical perspective on how the idea of harnessing wind power is a time-honored American dream:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/19/magazine/19wind-t.html?_r=2

Congratulations, Adam!

Audio of WC's Josh Shenk on NPR's "Talk of the Nation"

For those of you who missed Rose O'Neill Literary House Director Joshua Wolf Shenk on NPR's "Talk of the Nation" yesterday, you can listen to the broadcast by going to the following link:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104791125

...and clicking on "Listen Live."

National Public Radio Features Washington College in "All Things Considered" Broadcast

Chestertown, MD — As part of National Public Radio's "All Things Considered," Robert Siegel interviewed President Baird Tipson and several students about how the economic downturn is affecting the higher-education community.

Listen Online

December 12, 2008

Green Student University Names Washington College "Sustainable and Eco-Friendly College"

Chestertown, MD — Green Student University included Washington College among ten nationwide Sustainable and Eco-Friendly College Programs, citing the success of the Green Pledge and George Goes Green blog.

Sustainability Resources

• Green Pledge
• G3 Blog
• Center for Environment & Society
• George Goes Green
• Chestertown Goes Green

December 8, 2008

WC in USA Today Article about Veterans' Scholarships

Chestertown, MD — USA Today ran a front page article about college scholarships for veterans, and Washington College is included in the story for participation in the Hodson Trust Star Scholarship program. The online version, accessible via the following link, features a photo of Jim Schelberg '11 with his brother (and fellow Marine) in Iraq last December. And check out the photo credit: the picture was taken by Charles Grigg '09.

Read the full story in USA Today.

November 15, 2007

National Endowment for the Humanities Awards Major Federal Grant to Washington College

It's the largest federal grant that Washington College has received in its 225-year history—and that includes the 50 guineas that George Washington gave to help found the school in 1782.

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has announced that it has awarded a $625,000 "We the People" Challenge Grant to Washington College—one of only five recipients of the grant from nearly 30 applicants nationwide. "We the People" is an NEH initiative designed to "strengthen the teaching, study and understanding of American history and culture."

The unprecedented and prestigious federal gift to Washington College will support the C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience's historian-in-residence program (co-sponsored by the Rose O'Neill Literary House), endow scholarships for outstanding students who plan to major or minor in History or American Studies, and strengthen Clifton M. Miller Library's electronic resources in American history and related fields.

"This is a very exciting moment for Miller Library," said Library Director Ruth Shoge. "The grant allows us to offer the most comprehensive collection of American historical documents in an electronic environment where time and physical space or objects no longer hinder access to researchers."

The historic liberal arts college—the 10th oldest institution of higher learning in America and the first one founded after the victory at Yorktown—is in good company: the other four recipients of "We the People" Challenge Grants this year are Harvard University, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Kenyon College and the National Society of Colonial Dames of America/Stenton.

"This is a high honor," said Dr. Bruce Cole, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities. "NEH challenge grants are awarded only after a demanding peer review process. Washington College's proposal was reviewed by scholars and administrators with experience in leading programs and centers devoted to the study of American democracy. These reviewers expressed special praise for the quality of the application, finding it clearly and engagingly written. They deemed the plans for the fellowships to study the legacy of the founding era to capture perfectly the intent of the 'We the People' Challenge Grant initiative."

One of the NEH peer reviewers predicted: "The C.V. Starr Center is going to become a major player in the study and interpretation of the American democratic experience."

The grant requires a 3-to-1 match over the next four years, so that Washington College's eventual gain should total $2.5 million. More than half the matching funds already has been raised, thanks to a recent $1.05 million gift from the Barksdale-Dabney-Patrick Henry Family Foundation, which is being used to turn a 1730s house in Chestertown's historic district into a residence for nationally eminent historians, who will spend an entire academic year working on books and teaching at the College.

"The Endowment is very pleased to join in strengthening humanities activities at the C.V. Starr Center and Washington College," said NEH Chairman Cole. "We are delighted to be a funding partner for this exciting endeavor, and I hope others will join us in supporting this enrichment of the humanities in America."

Established in 2000 with a grant from the New York-based Starr Foundation, the C.V. Starr Center draws on the special historical strengths of Washington College and colonial Chestertown to explore the early republic, the rise of democracy, and the manifold ways in which the founding era continues to shape American culture, through innovative educational programs, scholarship, and public outreach, and especially by supporting and fostering the art of written history. In cooperation with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and George Washington's Mount Vernon, the Center administers the George Washington Book Prize, a $50,000 annual prize recognizing outstanding published works that contribute to a greater understanding of the life and career of George Washington and/or the Founding era.

"This generous gift will benefit Washington College students and faculty in a multitude of ways, as well as supporting important work on American history that will reach the wider public," said Adam Goodheart, the Hodson Trust-Griswold Director of the Starr Center. "And beyond the monetary aspect of the award, it means a great deal to know that the National Endowment for the Humanities has invested itself in the future of the Starr Center and Washington College."

For Washington College, the grant announcement is very aptly timed, as the school is celebrating its 225th anniversary this year.

"This is a wonderful, and somehow very fitting, birthday present for us," said Washington College President Baird Tipson. "As it was for us in the beginning, so it is again for us now, the grateful recipient of largesse ... from Washington. Somewhere up there you're smiling down on us, General—many thanks again."

September 21, 2007

Princeton Review Ranks Washington College among America's Best

Chestertown, MD, August 24, 2007 — Washington College is one of the nation's best institutions for undergraduate education, according to the Princeton Review.

The New York-based company known for its test-prep courses, books and other education services has honored Washington College by selecting it for inclusion in the newly published edition of the popular annual Best Colleges guidebook.

The Best 366 Colleges: 2008 Edition (Random House/Princeton Review Books, $21.95) was released August 21 and is now available in bookstores.

"Only about 10 percent of the colleges in America are in this book," said Robert Franek, Vice President of Publishing at the Princeton Review and lead author of The Best 366 Colleges. "It is our flagship guide to the cream-of-the-crop institutions for undergraduates."

To be counted among the ranks of the very best, Washington College and the nation's other top schools were judged on a spectrum of factors, Franek explained. "We chose them as our best based on several criteria, including our regard for their academic programs and other offerings, institutional data we collect from the schools, and the opinions of students, parents and educators we talk to and survey."

The Best 366 Colleges includes public and private schools, traditional and non-traditional colleges, historically black colleges and universities, and science and technology-focused institutions.

What sets the Princeton Review's annual Best Colleges guide apart from all other higher-education guidebooks is that it is the only one offering two-page profiles on the schools along with college-ranking lists in more than 60 categories, based on surveys of 120,000 students.

Thus, the students themselves rate their own schools and report on their experiences at them.

When each edition is published, the Princeton Review posts the book's ranking lists and excerpts from the college profiles on its influential web site, www.princetonreview.com.

Washington College's Chestertown setting is described as "rural, small quaint and beautiful" by students quoted in the book. They also laud the College's "individualized attention" and point out that the small size of the liberal arts school "allows everyone, including professors and the administration, to get to know students both inside and outside of the classroom."

Washington College students interviewed for the book heap praise on their faculty: "The professors are amazing; there is plenty of opportunity to meet with them and to further discuss any issues in class. They are wonderful at helping students advance their careers in their chosen fields."

The school also fared well regarding its social scene. Its students, according to the book, are "driven to succeed but know how to relax and have fun." Another student adds, "Since WC is a liberal arts college, there is an easy mix of different types of students. All of the groups easily intermingle and are friendly across campus. It is a very genuine and pleasant mix of students."

Billing itself as "the most talked-about college guide," The Best 366 Colleges is widely considered to be at the head of its class; CNN hails it as "a great book," and Seventeenmagazine calls it "our favorite college guidebook."

"We present a wide range of colleges in the book," noted Franek. "They vary by region, size, selectivity and character, but each one is an outstanding institution."

Washington College Chosen for Inclusion in 'The Best 366 Colleges,' Princeton Review College Guide

Chestertown, MD, March 7, 2007 — Washington College is one of the nation's best institutions for undergraduate education, according to the Princeton Review.

The New York-based company known for its test-prep courses, books and other education services has honored Washington College by selecting it for inclusion in the forthcoming edition of the popular annual Best Collegesguidebook.

The Best 366 Colleges: 2008 Edition (Random House/Princeton Review Books, $21.95) will be available in bookstores in August 2007.

"Only about 10 percent of the colleges in America are in this book," said Robert Franek, Vice President of Publishing at the Princeton Review. "It is our flagship guide to the cream-of-the-crop institutions for undergraduates."

To be counted among the ranks of the very best, Washington College and the nation's other top schools were judged on a spectrum of factors, Franek explained. "We chose them as our best based on several criteria, including our regard for their academic programs and other offerings, institutional data we collect from the schools, and the opinions of students, parents and educators we talk to and survey."

The Best 366 Colleges includes public and private schools, traditional and non-traditional colleges, historically black colleges and universities, and science and technology-focused institutions.

What sets the Princeton Review's annual Best Colleges guide apart from all other higher-education guidebooks is that it is the only one offering two-page profiles on the schools along with college-ranking lists in more than 60 categories, based on surveys of more than 115,000 students.

Thus, the students themselves rate their own schools and report on their experiences at them.

When each edition is published, the Princeton Review posts the book's ranking lists and excerpts from the college profiles on its influential web site, www.princetonreview.com.

"We present a wide range of colleges in the book," noted Franek. "They vary by region, size, selectivity and character, but each one is an outstanding institution."

Washington College Named to Princeton Review's Top Northeastern Colleges for 2007

Chestertown, MD, August 28, 2006 — For a third year in a row, Washington College has been featured as one of a select group of colleges and universities profiled in The Princeton Review's Best Northeastern Colleges. The 2007 Review lauds the college's size and a personalized approach that "allows everyone, including professors and the administration, to get to know [students] both inside and outside the classroom."

"The schools in this book all have excellent academic programs," said Robert Franek, Vice President of Publishing for The Princeton Review. "We chose them from several hundred Northeastern schools we considered based on institutional data we collect, our surveys of students on each college campus, and our visits to schools over the years."

Best Northeastern Colleges 2007profiles 222 select institutions in the District of Columbia and 11 states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The Princeton Review surveyed 58,000 students for this edition (about 250 students per campus) to gain an "insider's" view on matters ranging from the teaching ability of professors to campus food and from academic programs to student social life.

Candid comments drawn from the student surveys are included in every college's profile. Students surveyed at Washington College cited "individualized attention," a "well-respected creative writing program," and professors who "are wonderful at helping students advance their careers in their chosen fields" as some of the reasons they love the college.

WC students also applauded the college's "great psych program and excellent record of placement into medical schools," opportunities and funding for independent study and self-designed majors, collaborative scientific research with professors, and a student body in which "all of the groups easily intermingle and are friendly across campus."

"We are very proud to be included in this guide," said Baird Tipson, President of Washington College. "The students' own unsolicited comments confirm that we are achieving what we set out to do, to give our students an intimate learning environment where our professors truly mentor them and where they will find the people, the facilities, and the experiences to support their personal growth and highest achievement."

WC's Kim Last to Appear on CBS Early Show, April 3: Junior Receives Scholarship from New York Women in Communications

Chestertown, MD, March 30, 2006 — Kim Last, a junior American studies and political science major and editor of Washington College's student newspaper, will appear on the CBS Early Show Monday, April 3, and then mingle with some of the most powerful women in the communications industry when she joins a group of young journalists being recognized by New York Women in Communications, Inc. at the 2006 Matrix Awards.

Kim, of Rego Park, New York, is of one of 15 scholarship winners selected by the women's communication organization to be feted in Manhattan at an awards ceremony that will include presentations by Katie Couric, Susan Sarandon, and Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The ceremony, sponsored by the Oxygen Network, will be hosted by Ellen DeGeneres, who will also receive a special Humanitarian Award, presented by Diane Sawyer.

Among this year's Matrix honorees and presenters are Jill Abramson, managing editor of The New York Times, actress Geena Davis, Beth Comstock, President of NBCU Digital Media and Market Development, and Cynthia Leive, Editor-in-Chief of Glamour Magazine.

The organization considers mentoring young women an important part of their mission, offering career guidance as well as scholarship support. In anticipation of their television network appearance, NYWICI is helping the scholarship winners dress for success with a makeover featuring Ann Taylor career wear.

"Yes, I get to keep the suit, the shoes, the bag, everything," says Kim. "I know I shouldn't be excited about the clothes, but I am."

The NYWICI scholarship winners will be helping David Price do the weather from the CBS Early Show studio sometime between 8 and 8:30 a.m.

This is Kim's second WICI scholarship; as a high school student, she was one of five recipients of a $10,000 scholarship for college.

"The membership of WICI is very much a sisterhood, and these women believe in me," says Kim. "They really have taken me under their wing. I've been able to go to them for advice and guidance about what I can do to become a journalist. Before college, lots of women I talked to told me to take the liberal arts path; that's the reason I'm here. What better way to learn what it takes to enter the communications industry than to talk to an expert in the field? When I got the call about the scholarship, Barbara Brennan [Vice President, Lifetime Television] told me she recognized my name and wanted to be the one to call me. She was one of the first members of NYWICI that I met."

Kim is considering a career in print journalism and hopes to get her start as either a political writer in Washington or a general assignment reporter in New York.

Tea Party Crashers? Professor's Course, Student's Research Raise Historical Questions

Chestertown, MD, October 26, 2005 — When junior Erin Koster—a history, American studies, and secondary education major from Tranquility, New Jersey—took C. V. Starr Scholar Adam Goodheart's course "Chestertown's America" last year a Washington College, she didn't know that historical research can sometimes stir people's passions, especially in a 300-year-old colonial town like Chestertown, Maryland.

Assisting Goodheart with his research on the famed 1774 Chestertown Tea Party, an event celebrated by the town every May with a reenactment on the Chester River, Koster discovered that history is not always as it seems and can be more complex than we imagine it. As George Washington once wrote, "There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily," and that is what Goodheart and Koster did.

The results of their research have just been published in the Autumn 2005 of The American Scholar, Phi Beta Kappa's quarterly academic journal.

Read "Tea and Fantasy: Fact, Fiction, and Revolution in an American Town" (PDF).

Washington College Named to Princeton Review's Top Northeastern Colleges 2006

Chestertown, MD, August 25, 2005 — Washington College has been chosen as one of 224 select Northeastern colleges and universities profiled in The Princeton Review's new 2006 edition of The Best Northeastern Colleges, now available in bookstores nationwide. The Princeton Review cites "individualized attention" and a "well-respected creative writing program" as two of Washington College's major draws for today's college-bound students.

"The schools in this book all have excellent academic programs," said Robert Franek, Vice President of Publishing for The Princeton Review. "We chose them from several hundred Northeastern schools we considered based on institutional data we collect about the schools, our surveys of students at them, and our visits to schools over the years."

The Best Northeastern Colleges covers select institutions in the District of Columbia and eleven states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont. For this edition, The Princeton Review surveyed 53,000 students at the 224 schools in the book. Students were asked to rate their schools on several matters from the teaching ability of their professors to the campus food. Candid comments drawn from the student surveys lace the book's narrative profiles for each of the colleges.

Washington College students surveyed by The Princeton Review emphasized the College's focus on maintaining a small student/faculty ratio (12/1), teaching excellence and close sense of community with comments such as: "the professors are amazing; there is plenty of opportunity to meet with them and to further discuss any issues in class. They are wonderful at helping students advance their careers in their chosen fields." Another student applauded Washington College's "great psych program and excellent record of placement into medical schools," while another remarked: "Since WAC is a liberal arts college, there is an easy mix of different types of students."

"We are very proud to be included in this guide," said Washington College President Baird Tipson. "Fostering an intimate learning environment in which professors are more than just teachers, but are mentors to our students, is a deeply held and abiding value of Washington College. We are glad to be recognized for it."

Fishing Secrets Of The Dead: Shore Poet Debuts First Collection Of Verse

Chestertown, MD, May 3, 2005 — Meredith Davies Hadaway, vice president of college relations at Washington College, has released her first collection of verse, Fishing Secrets of the Dead. A finalist in the Word Press First Book competition, Hadaway's collection embodies precise lyricism while delving into a watery world of birds and fishermen, hearkening to the litany of voices, memories, calls and noises that haunt the Eastern Shore landscape.

Hadaway, who lives on the Chester River, returned to school to earn her MFA in Poetry at Vermont College after the death of her husband. In September 2000, she began assembling the manuscript as part of her thesis requirement.

“My work is inseparable from the landscape and the river,” Hadaway says. “The poems say as much about nature as they do about love and loss. Each encompasses the other in a connection that is seamless.”

Interspersed among the poems are drawings by her late husband, Cawood Hadaway, a wildlife artist, avid fisherman and teacher at Queen Anne's County High School and later at the Gunston Day School. His work captures the images of the heron, ducks and kingfishers that inhabit the Chester's banks, marshes and coves.

“I thought of the river outside my window as a structural element in the book,” Hadaway says. “The poems move forward and backward through experience and memory, through grief and consolation with a motion that feels tidal.”

Critics have praised Hadaway's poems, which have appeared, or are forthcoming, in Absinthe Literary Review, Ellipsis, Isotope, Lilliput Review, MARGIE, Currents, the Delmarva Quarterly, and the Milestone.

“These poems are so clean and spare and poignant that they contain what can only be called truth and like truth they provide solace but not comfort,” said Michael Collier, poet and director of the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference.

Dave Smith, Elliot Coleman professor of Poetry at Johns Hopkins University, observes: “Sometimes as terse as Emily Dickinson, Hadaway is certainly the voice of Maryland's Eastern Shore in these poems that are as sweet and true as a cleaned shell shining in the hand.”

A resident of Chestertown whose full-time job is directing Washington College's Office of College Relations, Hadaway is also an accomplished harpist who has performed in the United States and Ireland.

Fishing Secrets of the Dead is available for $17.00 from local booksellers, online from Word Press (www.word-press.com), or through Amazon.com.

Washington College: Maryland's Top Private Liberal Arts College In The 2005 U.S. News & World Report Rankings

Chestertown, MD, August 20, 2004 — As Washington College welcomes its most selective class in the institution's history, the College has climbed from 97th to 89th place in the 2005 U. S. News & World Report America's Best Colleges rankings, making it Maryland's top private college in the “Best Liberal Arts Colleges” category and one of the Top 110 Best Liberal Arts Colleges nationwide. The 2005 edition of America's Best Colleges will be available on newsstands August 24.

“We are very proud of our position in the rankings and the dedication of our faculty and staff whose hard work has helped us to achieve such distinction,” said Dr. Baird Tipson, President of the College. “Nor can we forget our students and alumni whose academic achievements are reflected in our climbing ranking score.”

Published since 1983, the U.S. News ranking system relies on quantitative measures that education experts have proposed as reliable indicators of academic quality. Data for 15 indicators of academic excellence is gathered on an annual basis; each factor is assigned a weight that reflects U. S. News' judgement about how much a measure matters. Indicators include a peer assessment survey of like institutions, student retention numbers, faculty resources and class size, selectivity in admissions, financial resources, graduation rate performance and the percentage of alumni who donate to their college.

“To achieve such a position in the rankings is certainly a point of pride for Washington College,” said Dr. Tipson. “But I like to emphasize to college-bound students and their parents that the annual U. S. News rankings are only one tool among many that students can use to research and select the institution that is best for them. They need to consider factors such as hands-on learning opportunities, faculty and departmental specializations, teaching excellence and student outcomes—derived from sources such as campus visits and one-on-one meetings with current students and faculty. These are the best indicators of how well a college measures up to its mission and will meet the needs of its students.”

Washington College is a private, independent liberal arts and sciences college located in historic Chestertown on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Founded in 1782 under the patronage of George Washington, it is the first college chartered in the new nation.

Governor Proclaims June 23 John Toll Day

Chestertown, MD, June 23, 2004 — At a gala tribute held June 22 at the Maryland Historical Society, Governor Robert Ehrlich proclaimed today, Wednesday, June 23, 2004, as John S. Toll Day throughout the State of Maryland in honor of Washington College's 25th president and former Chancellor of the University of Maryland System whose career spans 60 years of service to higher education.

“Thank you, Governor, for that kind gesture,” said Dr. Toll. “I hope all celebrants will spend their John Toll Day doing something that they love to do, something that will benefit others, something that will help young people realize the transformative power of education.”

College supporters, staff and friends gathered to celebrate the man who has done so much to transform Maryland's oldest institution of higher education into one of the nation's premier colleges of liberal arts and sciences. In addition, the event raised $500,000 for the new Science Center, which—as announced last night—will be named in honor of Dr. Toll, who concludes his presidency on June 30.

With more than 180 in attendance, the tribute also attracted Maryland leaders in politics and education, including U.S. Senator Paul Sarbanes, President of the Senate Thomas V. “Mike” Miller, Dr. Brit Kirwan, Chancellor of the University System of Maryland, and Freeman Hrabowski, III, President of the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, who acted as Master of Ceremonies.

“As I begin a new chapter in my life, I will draw inspiration from the lessons that I have learned during my 60 years as a college student,” Dr Toll said to those gathered. “It has been a delight and privilege to serve alongside you in this wonderful adventure.”

Governor's Declaration

Whereas, John Toll has demonstrated outstanding leadership and vision during a career in higher education that has spanned six decades, always exhibiting astute practical sensibilities and genuine warmth in relating to various constituencies; and

Whereas, he has proven equally adept at building research universities, particularly the University of Maryland System, and at leading to great distinction Washington College, a national liberal arts college on Maryland's Eastern Shore; and

Whereas, this eminent scientist has made significant and lasting contributions to the field of elementary particle physics and to science education throughout the nation; and

Whereas, John Toll is retiring his presidency of Washington College at the close of this academic year, and is being celebrated at a gala tribute dinner in Baltimore this day,

Therefore, I do hereby formally declare June 23, 2004, to be John S. Toll Day.

New College President Is Appointed

By Cheryl Keffer, Kent County News Staff Writer

Kent County News, February 26, 2004 — As the snow melted on the historic brick sidewalks of Washington College, a new season began that will change not only the campus vegetation, but also the administration. Baird Tipson, president of Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, was appointed Feb. 21 by the Board of Visitors and Governors to be Washington College's 26th president. Tipson, 60, was chosen from four finalists who visited the college in January and February, hold-ing open forums, speaking and meeting with various members of the college community.

A self-proclaimed “obsessive gardener,” Tipson first visited the campus on Feb. 4, while the grounds were still covered with a layer of wintry precipitation.

“It's a bit slushy right now,” Tipson said with a laugh, when asked what he thought of the college grounds at an all-campus forum that day.

He went on to speak favorably of the “attractive location” of Washington College and the suc-cessful blending of the college's buildings within the Chestertown community, which he saw both on tours with college officials and during his daily jog.

During his eight years as president and professor of religion at Wittenberg, Tipson and his wife, Sarah were involved extensively in the Springfield community, something they plan to do upon moving to Chestertown.

“We have a lot to learn about Chestertown,” he said. “With the size of the town, we can only imagine the impact Washington College has on the community.”

His presidential accomplishments at the liberal arts college of approximately 2,000 students, comparable to Washington College's current enrollment of approximately 1,400, included significant investments in information technology, the construction of a humanities complex and a major addition to the science center.

Under Tipson's direction, Wittenberg completed a $75 million campaign, which quadrupled the school's previous campaign record.

Before Wittenberg, Tipson served as provost at Gettysburg College for eight years and was associate dean at Central Michigan University for nine years.

Tipson earned his Bachelor's Degree in religion and history at Princeton University and his Ph.D. in religious studies at Yale University, “two very old, well-respected private research” colleges, he said.

“Almost 40 years later I am still drawing on what I learned there,” Tipson said.

His college experience, combined with his career in academia, made Tipson an excellent choice for the position of president at Washington College according to Tuck Maddux, trustee and chair of the presidential screening committee, which reviewed 135 nominees during the eight-month presidential search.

“In Baird Tipson we found a proven leader and true champion of the liberal arts,” said Maddux in a Feb. 21 press release.

Tipson was “overjoyed” when he got the call, he said in a candid phone interview from Baltimore-Washington International Airport, Saturday.

“Before I left on Feb. 6, I had a final interview with Tuck Maddux and Jack Griswold. I explained that we couldn't let ourselves get too attached (to the college), since there were other candidates, but we had a really hard time doing that,” said Tipson.

He and his wife loved Chestertown and the small-town environment and have made the “right decision,” he said. “It feels really good to be coming to Chestertown – part of me would like to start tomorrow,” Tipson said with a laugh. “But we do have strong feelings and emotional ties at Wittenberg. It will be difficult saying goodbye, but I think it's better to leave when people are sorry to see you go, not when they're relieved.”

The Tipsons have family up and down the East Coast, including two grown children, so the move to Maryland “makes us closer to our families, which is very important to us,” said Tipson. “We're very happy. We loved our time in Ohio and even in Michigan, but we felt the same kind of pull to the east.”

Tipson said he didn't see the need to make dramatic changes from what was happening at the college, but was ready for one more challenge before he retired.

“I feel in good physical health and I hope I still have the mental capacity,” he said with a laugh. “I am willing to make a commitment to (Washington College) – I hope to give nine years at the same energy level and dedication that I gave Wittenberg.

“When I was in Chestertown, I felt a new surge of energy – I'm pumped.”

Potential goals for the college were discussed at the all-campus forum Feb. 4, including increasing diversity, the future of the school library, arts facilities upgrades, and differentiating Washington College from other schools in the Centennial Conference.

Chair of the Board of Visitors and Governors Jack S. Griswold said in a letter to the Washington College community, that Tipson “will build upon the unparalleled success the college has enjoyed during John Toll's presidency and will provide leadership for the college as we move to define and secure our future.”

Tipson will begin his job as president July 1, with inauguration in October. John S. Toll's presi-dency will end June 30, but he will be on hand as president emeritus for another year.

Toll, 80, announced his retirement last June, after nine years as president of Washington College.

“I am pleased to hand the leadership of Washington College over to such an eminently qualified individual,” Toll stated in the college press release. “I applaud the extraordinary efforts of the search committee and stand ready to ensure a smooth transition for Baird Tipson.”

Cheryl McDaniel Keffer is a 2001 graduate of Washington College.

New Online Admissions Guide Recognizes Washington College As A College Of Distinction

Companion Guidebook to Website to be Released in 2004

Chestertown, MD, December 4, 2003 — In recognition of its tradition of teaching excellence and successful alumni, Washington College has been selected as a College of Distinction by a new online guide. The Colleges of Distinction website and forthcoming guidebook, to be published in 2004, offer consumers an honest, insider's look at a wide variety of very different schools, each with a national reputation for excellence, and profile the best bets in higher education today as designated by a committee of educators, college admissions professionals and high school counselors.

According to the guide's creator, Wes Creel, “four distinctions” were emphasized to select the 120 schools profiled in Colleges of Distinction: engaged students, great teaching, vibrant community and successful outcomes.

“Our guide asks: Which colleges are the best places to learn, to grow and to succeed?” Creel said. “The answers might surprise you. You'll find both prominent names and ‘hidden gems' on our list. What they have in common is their excellent reputation among high school guidance counselors and education professionals, not to mention employers and graduate schools. Their classrooms are among the most exciting in the country, and their programs are some of the most innovative.”

“We are very proud of this honor,” said Dr. John S. Toll, President of Washington College. “It reaffirms our commitment to a small student/faculty ratio, to engaged learning and research opportunities for students, and to teaching that inspires our students and transforms their lives. Truly, those are the distinctions that set us apart.”

Founded in 1782 under the patronage of George Washington, Washington College is a private, independent college of liberal arts and sciences located in historic Chestertown on Maryland's Eastern Shore. The College has been recognized by The Princeton Review as one of The Best Mid-Atlantic Colleges and by Washington Post education columnist Jay Matthews as one of the “Hidden Gems” in higher education.

For more information about Colleges of Distinction, visit www.collegesofdistinction.com.

John S. Toll, Washington College Named First Recipients Of J. McKenny Willis, Jr. Community Service Award

Chestertown, MD, September 3, 2003 — Dr. John S. Toll and Washington College have been chosen by the Board of Directors of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation to be the first recipients of the "J. McKenny Willis, Jr. Community Service Award." The Willis Award was created this year to recognize a non-profit organization in the five-county Mid-Shore region that has provided exceptional service to the region, and to the individual most responsible for its success.
"During the last eight years, Washington College has emerged as one of the most highly regarded small colleges in the nation," said Charles T. Capute, chair of the Community Foundation. "To everyone involved, it is clear that the credit for this achievement belongs to Dr. Toll."
The award's namesake, J. McKenny Willis, who will celebrate his 100th birthday on October 31, is one of the Mid-Shore's most legendary community leaders. During his 65-year career Mr. Willis helped create and support many of the non-profit institutions now serving our region, including Memorial Hospital, the Talbot County YMCA and the Talbot County United Fund.
Dr. Toll, former Chancellor of the University of Maryland System, has served as President of Washington College since 1995. He recently announced his retirement from that post in 2004, following the successful completion of a five-year $92 million-plus campaign that has helped to re-establish the College as one of the premier institutions in its class.
A physicist by training, Dr. Toll worked at Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory before joining the University of Maryland as Professor and Chairman of the Department of Physics and Astronomy in 1953. He was named President of the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1965, and returned to Maryland to serve as President, and then the first Chancellor for the University of Maryland System from 1978 to 1989.
Dr. Toll has been the recipient of numerous awards during his career, including "Washingtonian of the Year" in 1985; Yale University Award for Distinguished Contributions, 1996; Lifetime Achievement Award, Maryland Association for Higher Education, 2000; Newsday Long Islander of the Century, 2000; and Phi Kappa Phi Distinguished Marylander for the Year, 2000.
Founded in 1782 under the patronage of George Washington, Washington College is a private, independent college of liberal arts and sciences located in historic Chestertown. Washington College was recently recognized as one of the top 100 Best Liberal Arts Colleges nationally by U.S. News & World Report, and as one of the nation's Top 120 colleges in the forthcoming book, "Colleges of Distinction" (fall, 2003). Through programs such as its annual "Into Streets Day of Service," in which 360 incoming freshmen participated this August, and its Service Learning Program, Washington College encourages its students to volunteer and share their time and talents with local community organizations.
The Mid-Shore Community Foundation is the leading philanthropic organization in the five-county Mid-Shore region. The Foundation administers more than 50 charitable funds with a combined asset value in excess of $16 million. During its most recent fiscal year the Foundation distributed nearly $650,000 in charitable gifts, largely to non-profit organizations in the Mid-Shore region.
The Willis Award will be presented Thursday, October 9 at the Avalon Theatre in Easton, MD.

Washington College Among Top National Liberal Arts Colleges In 2004 U.S. News & World Report Rankings

Chestertown, MD, August 25, 2003 — As Washington College begins a new academic year with the most competitive class of incoming freshmen in the College's history, U. S. News & World Report has just released its 2004 America's Best Colleges rankings placing Washington College among the Top 110 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in the nation. Out of 217 colleges nationwide, Washington College climbed three points to 97th place in the overall ranking, and scored highly in the ranking of colleges with the most international students (35th place nationally) and in student graduation rate performance (34th place nationally).
“We have reason to be proud of our climb in the rankings. Many positive factors have combined to put us in this position,” said Dr. John S. Toll, President of the College. “We're attracting highly competitive students with high GPA and SAT scores. Our capital campaign has been extremely successful and has witnessed a steadily increasing alumni giving rate. Lastly, we maintain our commitment to a small student-teacher ratio, to cooperative student-teacher research, and to teaching excellence of outstanding faculty that inspires our students and transforms the directions of their lives.”
Published since 1983, the U.S. News ranking system relies on quantitative measures that education experts have proposed as reliable indicators of academic quality. Data for 15 indicators of academic excellence is gathered on an annual basis; each factor is assigned a weight that reflects U. S. News' judgment about how much a measure matters. Indicators include a peer assessment survey of like institutions, student retention numbers, faculty resources and class size, selectivity in admissions, financial resources, graduation rate performance and the percentage of alumni who donate to their college.
Washington College has also been recognized by The Princeton Review as one of The Best Mid-Atlantic Colleges; by Jay Matthews, Washington Post education columnist, as one of the “Hidden Gems” in higher education; and as one of the nations' Top 120 colleges in the forthcoming Colleges of Distinction, to be released this fall.