On a historic day for Claremont McKenna College, it was fitting that the inauguration of only the sixth president in CMC’s 80 years of higher education excellence would be filled with foundational stories of who we are, where we’ve been, and how far we’ve come.
The same sense of pride held true for the personal journey of President Will Dudley, who humbly accepted the spotlight as multiple speakers shared what makes CMC special—and what President Dudley has genuinely and graciously added to our tight-knit community since his Claremont arrival in the summer.
Whether through anecdotes from Williams College dormmate and CMC Government Professor Hilary Appel or President Emeritus of Northwestern University and lifelong mentor Morton Schapiro, the Parents Field tent was filled with hope and admiration for President Dudley’s range of inspirations as a liberal arts student, water polo captain, philosophy teacher, and multifaceted college administrator.
After warm greetings about community building and collaboration from Jennifer Stark, Mayor of Claremont, and G. Gabrielle Starr, President of Pomona College, Jimmy Doan and Nick Kennedy ’27 spoke about the heart of CMC—its students. Doan, CMC’s Dean of Students, described how President Dudley’s willingness to ask big questions, join adventures, or share humorous moments has already made an impression across a student body that takes its “work seriously” but also knows how to “have fun along the way.”
Kennedy, CMS’ current water polo captain, saw firsthand how President Dudley is naturally drawn to coaching and mentoring: He even joined the team’s bench to hand out waters and high-fives during a game against Pomona-Pitzer. Kennedy also spoke to several peers about how President Dudley, through simple but personal gestures, made them feel seen and understood this semester.
“Everyone here is eager to make meaningful contributions to the culture on campus, yet no one gives up their individuality to do it,” Kennedy said. “We’re all engaged across campus, yet we’re all passionate about different things, we think for ourselves, and we’re genuine. Somehow all of that comes together under one name. We’re proud to be CMC, and most importantly we show up for one another because of it.”
Before joining Ken Valach ’82, CMC Board of Trustees chair, for the official investiture proclamation, fellow Trustee Doug Peterson ’80 P’14 P’15 spoke on behalf of alumni and parents. He noted how inspiring it is for touring high school students to see CMC’s small class sizes, close faculty interactions, and wide-ranging liberal arts opportunities up close for the first time, causing them to wonder … “Is this real?”
“As a parent of two CMC grads, it is real—and it is astonishing. An environment where all viewpoints are welcome, where the liberal arts—from philosophy to economics, from religion to government—flourish with a world-class, state-of-the-art science program,” Peterson added.
Drawing on multiple threads of history—whether the College’s founding with returning veterans on the GI Bill, the inspiring words of Founding President George C.S. Benson P’61 and CMC namesake Donald McKenna, or nods to the accomplishments of former presidents in attendance, Jack Stark ’57 GP’11, Pamela Gann, and Hiram Chodosh—President Dudley explained how a liberal arts education empowers students by “developing traits and habits conducive to success and leadership, and discovering the satisfaction that comes from putting those abilities to good use.”
“The founders of Claremont McKenna understood that liberal arts education makes us capable of leadership: by enabling us to know who we are, where we want to go, and how to get there; by enabling us to understand and empathize with others; and by enabling us to inspire, with words and deeds, the joint pursuit of worthy goals,” President Dudley said.
“They also understood that those whose education prepares them for leadership will take satisfaction in exercising it … there is no deeper pleasure, there is no higher human calling, than serving the greater good in the company of others.”
President Dudley closed with his favorite piece of CMC lore: Operation Rockpile. It was a fitting memory to share on the lush grass of Parents Field—once an open dirt field strewn with boulders and stones washed down from the mountains—where the earliest students, faculty, and staff cleared space for a quad through sheer sweat and determination. Rock by rock, that’s what it took to build a college from scratch, or, as President Benson later put it: “What accounts for the enthusiasm? We all believe in what we are doing.”
“We are privileged to inherit the CMC of today, which has been built, nurtured, and loved by those who preceded us. Our responsibility is to leave it even stronger for the future. We will succeed in that together by embracing the spirit of Operation Rockpile, linking arms and seizing every opportunity to improve our school,” President Dudley said.
“The world will always need the graduates of Claremont McKenna. We will enthusiastically provide them.
“What accounts for the enthusiasm? We all believe in what we are doing.”
View President Dudley’s full inaugural address.
Read more and see photos from additional inauguration events, including an alumnae panel on leadership in higher education and the dedication of the Sports Bowl at the Roberts Campus.