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VOLUME LXI, NUMBER 1 MERCER UNIVERSITY, MACON, GA. MAY 4, 1979
President Harris Resigns
After
Twenty Years
man to appoint a proper
Nominating Committee with
alumni, faculty and student
representation* to find the
proper person for nomination to
the Trustees as the new Mercer
President. This committee
would function somewhat simi
larly to a church pulpit
President Rufus C. Harris,
82-year-old native of Monroe,
Georgia, has been referred to as
the “dean of college presidents
in the United States”. Few, if
any. persons in the country can
claim a total of 56 years in the
highest administrative posts in
ern. Stetson, Tulane, the
University of Hawaii, and the
University of Maine.
In 1970 Queen Elizabeth II
appointed President Harris an
officer in the Most Excellent
Order of the British Empire. He
is a Chevalier of tho French
Legion of Honor.
A member of Phi Beta
Kappa, he is also a member of
the Order of the Coif, Phi Delta
Phi, Omkron Delta Kappa.
Kappa Delta Phi, Omicron
Delta Kappa, Kappa Otita Phi,
and Phi Eta Sigma honorary
fraternities.
committee.
President Harris.
He came to Mercer in 1960
from Tulane University where
he had been president since
1937. Elected to the Presidency
by Mercer's board of trustees
on November 6. 1959, President
Harris usaumed office in April.
1960. He became the 22nd
person in Mercer’s history to
serve as president* and his
19-year tenure in this office is
the second longest in the
university’s history.
In aouattty. President Harris
coming to Mercer eras a ret mu.
to his alma mater. Earlier he
had served as dean of Mercer's
Law School from 1923 to 1927,
having left that position to
become dean of the Tulane
University School of Law from
1927 to 1937. From 1937 to 1960
he* was President of Tulane.
A 1917 graduate of Mercer,
President Harris received the
LL.B. degree from Yale Univer
sity in 1923 and the.Doctor of
Jurisprudence degree from Yale
in 1924. His honorary degrees
number fourteen, including one
which Mercer conferred upon
him in 1931, and others from
such universities as North west
"I advised that the Nominat
ing -Committee should look
widely for the person. There are
many segments that make up
the extensive domain of the
Mercer clientele, and it is
important that all of them be
included. It would hurt both the
University and the new Presi
dent if any group should feel
that it had no part in the
whkii he read at the trustees’
meeting prior to the presenta
tion of the resolution. President
Harris said:
“Mercer has entared a
significant period of transition,
and is on the thr^ahboid of
excellence. Higher education i r
America, of which Mercer ; j a
parti must encounter further
social involvement and concep
tual change, involving unbound
procedures and threats to its
autonomy from government,
special interest groups and
private agencies. For some time
I have considered changing my
role in service at Mercer.
tion was in any sense rushed.
No deadline should be fastened
on the Nominating Committee,
since time is not of the essence
in this matter.
”1 reported that consistent
with good educational practice,
I would remain in office until
the new President is elected.
After turning the office over to
the new President, I agreed to
accept appointment as Chancel
lor, with no executive responsi
bility involved, to assist the'
effort to coordinate, envision
and sustain the institution’s
total endeavor aa the new
President may desire.”
Bert Struby, chairman of the
Dr. Rufus Carrol ton Harris after 20 years of sendee to Mercer.
new President of the University, led for the nominating commit-
following a resolution presented tee to report to the trustees no
by Judge W. A. Bootle, trustee, later than the first week in
authorizing and directing the June. 1979. This resolution was
chairman to appoint such a approved unanimously by the
committee. The resolution cal- board of trustees.
nominating committee to seek a
79-80 SGA Officers
Elected
rnnoif election,, then the
general elections, one
tinaipected winning in one
