Interim President W. Taylor Reveley, III was sworn in Friday, Sept. 5 as the president of the College.
The news was announced at 11:30 a.m. in the Great Hall of the Wren Building. Michael Powell, rector of the Board of Visitors, told those assembled that they were “pleased to announce Taylor Reveley as the 27th president of the College of William and Mary.” Reveley's term is set at three years.
At the announcement, Powell said that the interim role had been “a thankless proposition for Taylor Reveley,” explaining that Reveley had taken the position after great consideration.
“As interim president, he had to bring some calm to the storm and he did so with grace and dignity,” Powell said.
“Selecting a president without a search was unorthodox,” Powell noted, “but the campus was not ready for a national search.”
He also praised Reveley as “the equal of every man who has sat at the office of president.”
Reveley took the oath of office with his wife at his side. Three of his children were present at the ceremony.
“Five months ago, I left the oldest law school and walked five long blocks to the Brafferton,” Reveley began, in his first speech as president. Reveley previously served as a law professor and dean at the College's Marshall-Wythe School of Law. He praised the community for its devotion to the College “even during the turmoil of last winter.”
“During that winter, being president was a grueling civic duty,” Reveley said. “The story of William and Mary is the story of our country. It has survived the scourge of war and the ravages of economic loss. But we have come to stand as one of the most historically storied universities.”
Reveley became interim president last February when former President Gene R. Nichol abruptly resigned. Reveley’s first few days and weeks were filled with protests, teach-ins and sit-ins, filled with students chanting the name of the President he was not.
Although some reports indicated that Reveley sought to be a quiet president, he said that he wants to be more than simply the College's caretaker. He promised shortly after being sworn in that he will not be just a transitional presence, but “make a serious difference for the better.”
In a recent interview with The DoG Street Journal, Reveley spoke of his three big projects for the upcoming year.
The first is strategic planning, something which the College has not done in over a decade. Questions Reveley will consider vary. He wants to decide, “Who are we? Where are we trying to go? Why are we trying to go there? How do we plan to get there?”
The second effort deals with the creation of a new financial model due to declining assistance from Virginia in recent years, and the College’s lack of endowment relative to other similarly-ranked schools.
The third effort, in Reveley’s words, is “to do a more effective, more coordinated job of getting William and Mary’s message out.”
The BOV released a statement to the College community after the news event.
“Taylor has exhibited such extraordinary skill, warmth and commitment that we are confident this is the best path for W&M right now,” the statement said.
In more detail, the Board listed some of the challenges ahead for Reveley. “Major additional state cuts are imminent, re-structuring will need to be re-negotiated with Richmond and we must complete a strategic plan. With his leadership, we will aggressively tackle these challenges, build on the traditions of the school, and look forward with confidence to the future.”