Baker Inaugurated as Luther's Eighth President
Date 12/5/1996 12:00 AM | Topic: NewsOn Saturday, November 23, Luther College inaugurated its eighth president, Jeffrey Baker. With a fresh blanket of snow, representatives of Luther's faculty, staff, student body, founding churches and fellow educational institutions helped celebrate the occasion.
The inauguration ceremony began with a procession of faculty and special guests, accompanied by the Luther College Concert Band. John Cotton, chair of the Board of Regents, welcomed the crowd and introduced keynote speaker, Marc Racicot, governor of Montana. Governor Racicot drew numerous parallels between life in Montana and the Luther community. He thanked the college for granting him an honorary degree and assured members of the Luther community, past and present, that its future was in good hands with Jeff Baker at its head.
Bishop H. George Anderson, Luther's seventh president, performed the investiture. Pledges of goodwill and support from faculty, administration and staff, students and alumni, representatives of higher education, the supporting church and the Decorah community followed Baker's acceptance of the duties of president.
In his address, Baker used the analogy of a ship ready to set sail with four beacons to guide it. These four were impressively summed up in Baker's closing remarks, saying "We begin this voyage together by remaining confident in our identity but future oriented in our thinking, by managing carefully but boldly the delicate balance between heritage and change, by embracing new thinking in our collaborations with other institutions, and by holding diligently to the unique qualities that set us apart."
"We will meet the challenges of the future with tenacity, wisdom, and grace, and like Lincoln be, each day, the best we can be and nothing less. I look forward to the adventure with you and the promise of the heritage we will create. I am proud this day to be called as Luther's eighth president," concluded Baker.
Mari Heltne, assistant dean of the college and chair of the inaugural planning committee credited the weekend's success to the dedication and talent of everyone involved. Heltne said, "Those people are Luther College. We knew the inauguration was not just about a new president but the whole college and a new president coming together to celebrate long traditions, and a new beginning, together."
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Kris Lyndon
Staff Writer
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