Anne Houtman made history by becoming Earlham’s first woman president when she was hired in 2019. A global pandemic would delay the traditional festivities of her inauguration by more than three years. The delay gave Houtman time, however, to create a vision grounded in research and a senior leadership team for taking action.
Growth is front and center for her plans. In her remarks, she described “widening the path” to Earlham. “Widening the path means reaching out to more students, and more diverse students, who are ready for the unique living and learning opportunity that Earlham offers,” she said.
“We have been educating students from across the country and around the world for a very long time,” Houtman said. “After this period of unprecedented societal upheaval, we are uniquely prepared to educate a generation that demands more of a college education than a good job and a big paycheck. We help students become who they want to become—someone who changes the world.”
Houtman’s inauguration speech served as the launch of the public phase of For Good: The Campaign for Earlham College. This $85 million comprehensive campaign, the most ambitious fundraising effort in the College’s 175-year history, will support the long-term sustainability of institutional priorities, along with increasing enrollment and expanding the Epic Journey, Earlham’s signature program for enriching the student experience.
“At Earlham, we show
Anne Houtman, president
the world that we can
live together with
respect and celebrate
our differences, we can
resolve disagreements
with honesty and
care, and we can make
the world better, one
person at a time, no
matter our role in life.”
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