Friends University will celebrate the inauguration of its 13th president, Dr. T.J. Arant, March 30. The ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. in Garvey Gymnasium in the Garvey Physical Education Center. Following the ceremony, a reception will take place in McKay Gymnasium in the Casado Campus Center.

This historic occasion is a rare opportunity to highlight Friends University and its place within the realm of higher education and the regions it serves. Friends University is expecting a number of delegates from other universities to join in the formal ceremony that will feature academic regalia and ceremonial artifacts.

Dr. Arant is a teacher at heart who also brings 30 years of experience in higher education. He was unanimously selected by the Friends University Board of Trustees to become Friends University’s 13th president and took office July 1, 2011. He previously served as executive vice president and provost at Mount Olive College in North Carolina. He earned a doctorate in English from Duke University, a master’s in English from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and a bachelor’s from Vanderbilt University.

Other inaugural events throughout the week include the President’s Inaugural Run at 9:30 a.m. March 24; the Concert Choir Spring Concert at 7:30 p.m. March 27 in the Riney Fine Arts Center’s Sebits Auditorium; and the Enduro Track Classic at Friends University March 31. 

For more information about this event, visit friends.edu/inauguration or contact dalboms@friends.edu.

Media Note: Visit friends.edu/inauguration-media for inauguration details and information.