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Albion College Principals & Presidents
Because he began his college career in the midst of World War II, Lomas entered Albion in an accelerated program. Torn between pursuing careers in law or ministry, Lomas found the answer from his father. Inspired by his dad’s career as a minister, he immediately became involved with three local churches, preaching and running youth ministry programs. After graduating from Albion in 1946, Lomas decided to pursue a graduate degree at Oberlin College, which at the time had one of the top seminary programs in the country. After continuing his education at Vanderbilt University to receive his doctoral degree, Lomas traveled to Cleveland to lead a theological school and church whose membership exceeded 3,800 people. It was there that he met his wife, Barbara, after becoming acquainted with her parents, who were members of the church. Remaining connected to the Albion community after his graduation, Lomas served on the alumni board and then on the Board of Trustees. When Albion president Dr. Louis W. Norris retired in 1970 after ten years in the position and nobody had been hired to replace him, Lomas was worried the process in electing the next president was lagging behind. But later, when he was offered the position, he learned he was simply exempted from the discussion because he was a candidate. Leaving his career in ministry to return to Albion is a decision Lomas has never regretted. During his thirteen years as Albion’s twelfth president, the highlights of Lomas’ career were his frequent interactions with students. Lomas spent an evening every week roaming the campus, eating dinner with different fraternities and socializing with students. He also met with student senate once a month to remain connected to student issues. When deciding tenure for professors, he included students in the decision-making process. Throughout his career as president, Lomas contributed to the positive growth of the college. He aided in establishing the Gerstacker Institute for Professional Management in 1973 and the Ford Institute for Public Service in 1978. From the start, the programs were so soundly founded that companies were eager to offer internships to students in them, Lomas said. In addition, Albion’s honors program, now known as the Prentiss M. Brown Honors Institute, was begun during his tenure and has now grown to nearly 300 members. The campus landscape changed markedly during Lomas’s tenure as well. He was instrumental in fund-raising efforts for the Herrick Center for Speech and Theatre, the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Recreation and Wellness Center, the Dean Aquatic Center, Sprankle-Sprandel Stadium, the Whitehouse Nature Center Interpretive Building, the Gerstacker International House, the Seeley G. Mudd Learning Center, and Olin Hall. Throughout his presidency, Bernard Lomas was noted for his forward-thinking in terms of enrollment, endowment, and faculty compensation. He drew on this expertise while representing Albion College on the national and state levels as a consultant to the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research in Washington, D.C. and as an executive committee member of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Michigan and the Michigan Colleges Foundation, as well as many other organizations. Lomas is the recipient of many awards, including the Ohio Junior Chamber of Commerce Man of the Year Award in 1958, an honorary doctorate from Albion in 1965, and the Albion College Distinguished Alumni Award in 1978. Albion has benefited greatly from his service as president, trustee, and Alumni Association board member and his continuous involvement in Albion College campaigns and initiatives. After leaving Albion in 1983, Lomas and his wife moved to Grand Rapids to be closer to his oldest son and grandchildren in Holland. But Lomas never fully retired. He began work again as counselor to the president of the Heritage Foundation. The foundation, which describes itself as a "research and educational institute," conducts public policy research and analysis and works with some of the nation’s top political figures. Lomas still holds close ties to Albion, giving back to the college community by beginning scholarships in the names of his mother, father and one of his sons. Several large donations in his name also stand as a testament to his service and impact as former president. The Project 250 scholarship awards $2,000 annually to students’ contributions in the areas of leadership and service to the campus and community. And the basketball courts and track in the Dow Center are named the Bernard T. Lomas Field House as a result of his $1 million gift. From Karmol, Rachel. (2006, April 28). "A Jack of All Trades: Albion alumnus, minister and former president remains active." The Pleaid; and Office of Institutional Advancement. (2007). "Meritorious Service Winners." Alumni, Parents and Friends <http://www.albion.edu/alumni/daa/BernardLomas.asp> Click on thumbnail for larger view
Links to More Documents About Bernard Tagg Lomas
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Albion College ◦ Albion, Michigan ◦ 517/629-10000
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BERNARD
TAGG LOMAS is not only a former president of Albion College but also a
1946 alumnus. He is still involved in campus, returning each year for
the homecoming football game and to periodically visit with the current
president.
