Albion College Principals & Presidents
 MELVIN L. VULGAMORE was the thirteenth president of
Albion College. He was born on July 19, 1935, in
Springfield, Ohio. He grew up on a farm in southern Ohio, attending a
four-room grade school, and graduating from Piketon High School with a
class of thirty students. He was a scholarship student at Ohio Wesleyan
University where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in
1957. He subsequently earned a Bachelor of Divinity degree from Harvard
University in 1960 and the Doctor of Philosophy degree from Boston
University in 1963.
From 1962 until 1978 he was Professor of Religion at Ohio
Wesleyan, where he won the Shankland Award for Excellence in Teaching. He began his administrative career at Ohio Wesleyan as well, serving as
Dean of Academic Affairs for more than four years, after a year as
Associate Dean of Faculty. In 1978 he became Vice President for
Academic Affairs and Provost of the University of Richmond, a post which
he served until coming to Albion.
Dr. Vulgamore traveled widely throughout Europe and
the Middle East, serving in 1971-72 as Visiting Professor of Cultural
Studies at the American University of Beirut. He has held several
research grants, including post-doctoral study at Oxford and a sabbatical
at Heidelberg. He has published twenty articles and delivered more
than twenty scholarly papers.
In Virginia, he was a Trustee of the Steward School,
President of the Virginia Institute for Scientific Research, a member of
the Collector's Circle of the Virginia Museum, and on the Executive
Committee of the Harvard Club of Virginia.
Vulgamore became president of Albion in 1983. Major
accomplishments of his administration include the construction of the
Kellogg Center and the Dow Recreation and Wellness Center; the Philip C.
Curtis Visiting Artist Endowment; an electronic library catalog system;
the remodeling of Robinson and North Halls (later renamed Vulgamore Hall
in the former president's honor); refurbishing of Bobbitt Visual Arts
Center, Stockwell Library, the Observatory, Wesley and Seaton Halls;
renovation of the music facilities and the Kresge Gymnasium; creation of
the Anna Howard Shaw Center for Women's Studies and Programs and the
Sleight Leadership Program and the Office for Multicultural Affairs;
launching of a women's studies concentration and international studies
major;
In 1957, Dr. Vulgamore married Nan Oyer. She was a faculty member in music at the Columbus School for Girls,
Vice-president of the Women's Committee of the Richmond Symphony, a member
of the Council of the Virginia Museum, and advisor to Mortar Board and
president of University Women at the University of Richmond. While
at Albion, she served as president of the Albion Civic Foundation, on
the governing boards of the Albion Volunteer Service Center, the Burnham
Brook Senior Center, Calhoun County Family and Children's Services, the
Jackson Symphony Orchestra, and Calhoun County United Arts Council. As a
member of the Council of Michigan Foundations, Mrs. Vulgamore also gave
her time to historic preservation efforts and educational programs on a
statewide scale.
Links to Documents About Melvin
Vulgamore
-
Albion College. (1996,
February 9). Vulgamore to Become Albion
College's Chancellor;
Search for a New President Begins.
-
-
Communications Office. (2001, September 25). $4.5 Million Bequest
from Hendley Estate is Largest in Albion's History: Gift Boosts
Current Capital Campaign Total to $65 Million. Albion College
News.
-
-
-
Highlights of the Vulgamore Presidency, 1983-1997. (1997, Summer).
Io Triumphe!
-
Justus, J. (1997, February 28). Seniors upset with selection process; Board chooses President Vulgamore as 1997 commencement
speaker. Pleiad.
-
Justus, J. (1997, April 4). New commencement
speaker added. Pleiad.
-
Landrum, Roger. (1997, Summer). Promises to Keep. Io Triumphe!
-
Loffelman, C. (1996, February 16). Vulgamore
Steps Down. Pleiad.
-
Palmer, R.
(1996, January 26). Vulgamore returns, dispels
rumors. Pleiad.
-
Remembering the Vulgamore Years. (1997, May). [Table tents from
commencement]
-
Singular Moments from the Vulgamore Years. (1997, Summer). Io
Triumphe!
-
Towne, D. (1996, February 16). The search begins: Replacing Vulgamore
is in preliminary stage. Pleiad.
-
Vulgamore, Melvin L. (1984, May
15). The Rhetoric of Being and
Becoming. Phi Beta Kappa Oration, Michigan State University.
-
Vulgamore, Melvin L.
(1995, April 24). Albion College Memorandum to Faculty, Staff,
Students.
Additional Resources
-
Accepting a check. (25 November 1985). Albion Recorder.
- Access to teachers makes small colleges good bets. (7 July 1985).
Jackson Citizen Patriot.
- Albion College President. (13 March 1984). Albion Evening Recorder.
- Albion College President. (21 October 1983). Albion Evening Recorder.
- Albion College's 13th president is selected. (8 April 1983). Albion
Evening Recorder, 80(69), 1.
- Albion College's presidential inauguration will be Sept. 30. (7
September 1983). Albion Evening Recorder.
- Young, D.T. (19 July 1983). Editorial. Albion Evening Recorder.
- Albion President Vulgamore recruits in Orient. (25 November 1985).
Michigan Christian Advocate.
- Bedient, B.C. (7 October 1983). Candid Comments (Editorial). Albion
Evening Recorder.
- Bright future seen for private colleges. (8 October 1983). Jackson
Citizen Patriot.
- College officials named to state posts: Vulgamore joins arts committee.
Io Triumphe, (48)3, 3.
- College president preaches Sunday. (28 February 1985). [Publication
unknown].
- College to bestow Vulgamores with honorary degrees. (8 May 1997).
Albion Recorder, 3.
- Dr. Melvin Vulgamore. (30 December 1983). Albion Evening Recorder.
- Taylor, J. (3 October 1983). Dr. Vulgamore inaugurated as Albion
College president. Albion Evening Recorder.
- Dr. Vulgamore inducted Albion College President. (8 October 1983).
Journal of Albion.
- Exhibit honors Vulgamore inauguration. (27 September 1983). Albion
Evening Recorder.
- Frangquist, A. (1 November 1985). Vulgamore travels to Japan and Korea
in foreign student recruiting drive. The Pleiad: Albion College Weekly,
102(8), 1.
- Hiner, J. (17 January 1988). Price is high to study, party hard in
Albion. Jackson Citizen Patriot, A-3, A-4.
- Inauguration set for Albion College president. (8 September 1983).
Jackson Citizen Patriot.
- Kreifeldt, W. L. (5 October 1983). Vulgamore launches 'Good Morning'.
Albion Evening Recorder.
- Mapping out plans. (9 February 1984). Albion Evening Recorder.
- A marvelous welcome. (6 September 1983). Albion Evening Recorder.
- Meet the Vulgamores. (1983, December). Io Triumphe.
- More than 300. (2 September 1983). Albion Evening Recorder.
- Peter B. Clark. (27 March 1985). Albion Recorder.
- President named. (8 April 1983). The Pleiad: Albion College Weekly,
99(23), 1.
- President Vulgamore tells BK of Orient visit: Hopes to entice Far East
students. (25 January 1986). Journal of Albion.
- Smith, P. (9 December 1983). Vulgamores roll up sleeves, begin
commitment to college's future. The Pleiad: Albion College Weekly, 100(12),
1, 6.
- Speaker Robert Tester. (18 January 1984). Albion Evening Recorder.
- Taylor, J.R. (15 July 1983). New Albion College president believes in
interdependence. Albion Evening Recorder.
- Taylor, J. (6 October 1983). Editorial. Albion Evening Recorder.
- Tremi, C. (21 January 1983). Openness of presidential selection
confirmed. The Pleiad, 1-2.
- Tremi, C. (20 April 1984). Presidential style: Aggressive, visible &
involved. The Pleiad: Albion College Weekly, 99(14), 4.
- Vulgamore, M.L. (1981). Liberal education in a world come of age.
Liberal Education, 67(2). Association of American Colleges.
- Vulgamore, M.L. (1983). Academic excellence as craftsmanship. Liberal Education, 69(1), 71-74. Association of American
Colleges.
- Vulgamore, M. L. (1986, February). Revivalism and social reform.
Circuit Rider.
- LaNoue, Mike. (6 February 1984). Vulgamore fuels optimistic spirit
(Editorial). Albion Evening Recorder, 2.
- Vulgamore names to arts committee. (17 October 1983). Albion Evening
Recorder.
- Vulgamore to speak at breakfast series. (29 September 1983). Albion
Evening Recorder.
- Wentworth, M. (30 September 1983). Albion inaugurates its 13th
president...Dignitaries, students honor new pres. The Pleiad, 4.
- Wentworth, M. (20 April, 1984). The no-title role: First Lady a model
of involvement. The Pleiad.
|
|
|
