Historic Installation of Chancellor, Edward M. Augustus, Jr. and 

Inauguration of 14th President, Kenneth 

Elmore, J.D.

Last month, Dean College celebrated the installation of Edward M. Augustus, Jr. as the College’s first-ever Chancellor and the investiture of Kenneth Elmore, J.D. as the College’s 14th President. 

Chancellor Augustus and President Elmore were chosen to succeed Dr. Paula M. Rooney, who led Dean College from 1995 to 2022, in an innovative new approach to leadership. Chancellor Augustus, the former city manager of Worcester, and President Elmore, the former dean of students at Boston University, are collaboratively leading the College while also strategically focusing on areas pertaining to their respective roles, backgrounds and skill sets. The Installation Celebration formally conferred the authority of high office to Chancellor Augustus and President Elmore and commemorated the momentous occasion in the College’s history. 

On Friday, October 14, the College held the Installation Ceremony of Chancellor Augustus and President Elmore. The ceremony included performances and readings by students, faculty and staff. Remarks were given by Mariah Sheirer ’23, president of the Student Government Association; Jane Gagnon, director of logistics and campus engagement; and Tom Mercer, chair of the Franklin Town Council. The featured speaker was Dr. Anthony P. Monaco, president of Tufts University. Monaco traced the history of Dean College and the close ties Dean and Tufts share, as well as his confidence in Dean’s future. “From Universalist beginnings that instilled a sense of moral good and social and personal responsibility to preparing today’s generation to succeed and thrive in a blossoming multi-racial society, the journey from Dean Academy to Dean College has been truly impressive,” he said. 

Both Chancellor Augustus and President Elmore delivered remarks after their respective inauguration and investiture. 

Augustus spoke about the holistic support Dean provides to each and every student, from the classroom to their extracurriculars to the everyday interactions, throughout the students’ academic and personal journeys. He highlighted the parallels of Dean to the City of Worcester, where he was born, raised and served as the city manager. He emphasized the work and the transformation that happened in Worcester to help residents believe in both the city and themselves – just like the transformation that occurs at Dean. “Many students, when they arrive on campus, are just beginning to find themselves,” Augustus explained. “Their parents, teachers and friends already see greatness in them. But our students must find that for themselves, and we are privileged and humbled to help them in that journey. Together, we will continue graduating the thinkers, doers and leaders that have long been cultivated on this campus.” 

Augustus also spoke about the challenges and issues society is facing today and the role that a liberal arts education plays in preparing students to make an impact on the world. “The world needs these students and their passions, dreams and confidence now more than ever,” he said. “It is my hope that when Dean students set out to make lifelong relationships as alumni, that they will have learned not only how to make a difference, but they will also have learned how to be a difference.” 

In Elmore’s investiture address, he acknowledged the people that influenced him and got him to where he is today, from his teachers to his family and ancestors to figures everything from higher education to literature to music. He echoed Augustus on the idea of Dean as a place for transformation and discovery, and called for the community