Johnston takes oath at Wesleyan

Staff Writer

      Hundreds of people came to Ruble Arena on the Iowa Wesleyan College on Friday for the inauguration of William N. Johnston as the 27th president of the 162-year-old institution. Among the speakers were IWC Board of Trustees Chairman Lowell Doud, Mayor John Freeland, Iowa First Lady Christie Vilsack and astronaut Peggy Whitson, representing IWC alumni.

      The theme of the inauguration was "A Celebration of Community, a Promise for Tomorrow."

      "Let us celebrate the inauguration of Dr. Johnston to lead us toward the promise," Doud said.

      Doud read an editorial from a newspaper from Wheeling, W.Va., where Johnston had a vice-presidential position at a college, which said "Iowa's gain is our great loss." The article was about Johnston moving on to become president of IWC. Doud said this article and many like it show what kind of president Johnston will be.

      "He believes whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well," Doud said.

      The resident bishop for the Iowa Area of the United Methodist Church, Gregory Palmer, said he is confident that the leadership of Johnston and his administration will provide a vital link between the college and Mt. Pleasant to create one community. Johnston's leadership will help the infrastructure of the college to grow, according to Palmer. He said it is fortunate for Mt. Pleasant that people generations ago had the "good sense to birth places of higher education." Palmer said many of those colleges have a link to a church, much like IWC. He said Johnston can make that bond stronger in Mt. Pleasant and for the 198,000 Methodists in Iowa.

      "I pledge my and our support in that kind of leadership already embodied in President Johnston," he said.

      Lori Williams Wright, co-chair of the Presidential Search Committee, and Doud administered the pledge to Johnston. The audience gave a standing ovation as Johnston began his inauguration speech.

      Johnston said the people who began the college more than 162 years ago wanted to bring cultural enlightenment through education to Southeast Iowa.

      "Education then, as now, is the hope for the nation," Johnston said.

      He said the people who founded the college worked with "all their heart" to achieve the dream and it reminded him of the story of Nehemiah in the Old Testament. He said in the story the people were united by their faith in God and the mission they had before them to rebuild their community after returning to Israel. They worked with all their hearts to strengthen their community and the Bible story acknowledges the roles IWC and Mt. Pleasant have played in developing a community. Faith in the college and community will help IWC Johnston said.