BOSTON (August 15, 2007) - The 性闻联播 Board of Trustees today ratified President Jack M. Wilson's appointment of Dr. Thomas W. Cole Jr. as interim Chancellor of UMass Amherst.
Dr. Cole, who holds a PhD in organic chemistry from the University of Chicago, is President emeritus of Clark Atlanta University, and has also served as Chancellor of the West Virginia Board of Regents, President of West Virginia State College and President and CEO of Great Schools Atlanta.
In making the appointment, President Wilson said: "Thomas Cole is a distinguished educator who has the experience, passion and vision to be an outstanding interim Chancellor for our flagship campus in Amherst. I am confident that he will set a very high bar and will inspire others during his time at UMass Amherst. We are very fortunate to have attracted an academic leader of such stature and ability."
Dr. Cole, 66, who served as president of Clark Atlanta University from 1989 to 2002, said he was "pleased and honored" to be named interim Chancellor.
"There aren't many opportunities that I would have come out of retirement for, but I have always had a deep feeling for the special nature and the academic quality of the 性闻联播 at Amherst. The 性闻联播 has an extraordinary history and reputation. Any opportunity to be part of that isn't something that you can dismiss. It is an institution that I have admired for many years. It truly is an institution that makes a difference - for Massachusetts and for the world. Thus, it is with pride and enthusiasm that I step forward to serve this great University," Dr. Cole said.
Dr. Cole, who takes office on September 1, said he would not be a candidate for the permanent chancellorship.
Dr. Cole will serve as interim Chancellor while the University conducts a national search for a permanent successor to UMass Amherst Chancellor John V. Lombardi, who becomes president of Louisiana State University on September 1.
Stephen P. Tocco, chairman of the UMass Board of Trustees, called Dr. Cole "the right leader at the right moment for UMass Amherst."
"I commend President Wilson for making this appointment. Thomas Cole is a nationally respected leader and educator. We have lofty aspirations for UMass Amherst and Thomas Cole is someone who has always aimed high and achieved at the very highest levels," Tocco said.
Congressman John Lewis (D-Georgia) said: "I've known Dr. Tom Cole for many, many years. He is a very thoughtful and deliberate man who truly believes that all of this nation's young people deserve the very best education. Through his long and distinguished service as a scientist, professor and college administrator, he has made a lasting contribution to the field of higher education in this country. I believe his vision, experience, and commitment to excellence will make him a significant asset to the 性闻联播 system."
Carl Ware, who chaired the Clark Atlanta University board of trustees when Dr. Cole served as president, said Dr. Cole "brings people together."
"Tom Cole is a team builder and a team leader. He is an articulate and compassionate leader and a true consensus builder. Tom believes in the power of education to transform the lives of young people and to shape the future," said Ware, the former executive vice president of Coca-Cola Co.
The Cole appointment was also praised by Esther Terry, associate chancellor at UMass Amherst, and Johnetta B. Cole, a former UMass Amherst faculty member who went on to become president of Spelman College and Bennett College for Women.
"The appointment of Dr. Thomas W. Cole Jr., as interim Chancellor at the 性闻联播 Amherst has special significance for me," said Johnnetta Cole, who is not related to Thomas Cole. "For 13 years, I served as a professor and administrator at UMass Amherst, and I continue to respect the university and its important work. During the 10 years of my presidency at Spelman College, I worked closely with Dr. Cole who was then president of Clark Atlanta University. The 性闻联播 Amherst is fortunate to have attracted an educator of Dr. Cole's caliber, knowledge, experience and character. I wish the University well and congratulate Dr. Cole on this new leadership opportunity."
Said Esther Terry: "This is wonderful news. To have Dr. Tom Cole agree to join our campus community at any time would be special, but to have him as our interim Chancellor at this particular time in our history seems prescient. President Wilson and the trustees have set the stage for continued good work at the campus and throughout the system."
Dr. Cole became Clark Atlanta University's first president in 1989 following the consolidation of Clark College and Atlanta University in 1988. He served simultaneously as president of Clark College and Atlanta University for a year prior to the consolidation.
During his time as president of Clark Atlanta University, Dr. Cole was credited with building enrollment, increasing the size of the faculty by more than 50 percent and raising more than $100 million during the school's first capital campaign.
When Dr. Cole announced his retirement from the Clark Atlanta University presidency, William Gray, the president and CEO of the College Fund/United Negro College Fund, credited him with having done "an unbelievable job."
"The number of degrees granted has gone up dramatically. The SAT scores have gone up. Under his leadership, over $100 million was invested on various infrastructure improvements, which is a large number for a private, black college," Gray said.
A native of Texas, Dr. Cole graduated with honors from Wiley College and earned a PhD in organic chemistry from the University of Chicago. West Virginia State College, the University of Charleston, Allegheny College and Wiley College have awarded him honorary doctorate degrees.
In addition to his other academic positions, Dr. Cole served as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Chair of the Chemistry Department and Fuller E. Callaway Professor of Chemistry at Atlanta University. He also held visiting professorships at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.
Dr. Cole is the son of Thomas W. Cole Sr., the former president of Wiley College in Marshall, Texas. He is married to Brenda Hill Cole, a state court judge in Fulton County, Georgia. The Coles have two adult children who live in Atlanta.
Contact: Robert P. Connolly, 617-287-7073; Libby DeVecchi, 617-287-7023