Marshall University President Jerome A. “Jerry” Gilbert will officially be welcomed to the university with an investiture
Marshall University President Jerome A. “Jerry” Gilbert will officially be welcomed to the university with an investitureUniversities are institutions rich with tradition. It’s a way of preserving the character and qualities that mark greatness, and it’s a way of honoring those who have upheld the culture of high standards.
Just as it is celebrated during commencement, honoring the Marshall University students, who put in the grueling hours toward earning a degree, tradition is celebrated when welcoming a newcomer who will guide the steps of the university.
And in late September, Marshall will celebrate its rich heritage and honor its 37th president during the traditional investiture ceremony of President Jerome A. “Jerry” Gilbert.
It’s not an occasion he will experience without careful reflection.
An investiture “signifies the changing of the guard of the leadership and recognizes the continuity of the institution. It is not so much about the person as it is about the office,” said Gilbert, a Mississippi native who comes to Marshall by way of Mississippi State University. “I am humbled to be the 37th president of Marshall and approach the investiture with great gratitude and humility.
“There will be members of my family present at the investiture and that will be extremely important for me because they have provided me encouragement, love, support and life lessons that have guided me in my personal and professional life. In addition to my immediate family, there will be some members of my circle of friends and colleagues who have meant so much to me over the years. It will be a chance to say ‘thank you’ to many people, including members of the Marshall family.”
Before coming to Marshall, Gilbert spent nearly six years as provost and executive vice president at Mississippi State. A scholar with a background in biomedical engineering, Gilbert also had served as the associate provost and associate vice president for academic affairs while there. He also headed Mississippi State’s Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering and coordinated its biomedical engineering program.
Though he has been busy at Marshall since January, Gilbert’s investiture ceremony officially marks the start of what many hope to be an exciting presidency at Marshall.
“I think the community has already seen the reasons that Dr. Gilbert was the right choice for president,” said Michael Sellards, president and CEO of
St. Mary’s Medical Center and past chairman of the Marshall Board of Governors. “He has exhibited strong leadership qualities in his first months on the job. He has the experience, knowledge and vision to make Marshall University an even greater institution in the years ahead. Dr. Gilbert has a clear, ambitious road map for excellence and he wants Marshall to play a key partnership role in the future success of our region.”
The investiture ceremony is planned for 10:30 a.m. Sept. 22 at John Marshall Circle, featuring remarks on behalf of Marshall faculty, staff, students and alumni, as well as government and academic officials. Colleagues from Mississippi State are scheduled to speak as well, and President Gilbert will give his inaugural address. Following the ceremony will be a reception at the Brad D. Smith Foundation Hall.
“The seven months I have been at Marshall have been incredible,” Gilbert said. “I have had the chance to learn a lot about the people and the spirit of Marshall and to develop a sense of being home. The community has embraced Leigh and me and we feel like destiny has brought us to West Virginia and that it is now home.
“I have been developing ideas to position Marshall for growth and increased recognition on the local and national scenes. I look forward to working with the faculty, staff, and the administration to enhance the learning and working environment at Marshall.”
Wyatt Scaggs, chairman of the Marshall Board of Governors, said he’s impressed with Gilbert’s decision-making so far and eager to watch his progress.
“I’m excited about him putting his plan in place that will combine the successful initiatives started by President Kopp along with his own initiatives (inspired by successes he saw at Mississippi State),” said Scaggs, owner and operator of Baisden Brother Hardware in Logan.
Scaggs said he’s particularly interested in Gilbert’s plans to offset state budget cuts by increasing revenue at the university, through renewed efforts at recruitment and retention, fundraising, marketing and research development.
Scaggs recalled Gilbert’s remarks when he first arrived. He talked about wanting to make sure students felt respected and got everything they needed to finish their coursework, graduate and succeed.
“He’s a very thoughtful and participatory leader,” Scaggs said. “He listens well and has already made some difficult decisions.”
Choosing the right replacement for President Stephen Kopp was one of the most difficult challenges in which Scaggs has ever participated, he said.
“The more I’m around (President Gilbert), the more I’m sure we have the right man for the job,” Scaggs said.
Gilbert’s investiture is another milestone for a great university, Sellards said.
“The investiture is a chance to reflect on our proud past and to focus on what’s left to achieve with Dr. Gilbert, the board and our accomplished faculty and students helping lead the way,” Sellards said.
Gilbert said he will work hard to maintain Marshall’s proud history and its tie with Chief Justice John Marshall, “a man of integrity and vision who helped shape our country.
“I am honored as president,” Gilbert said, “to be able to add just a little bit to the legacy and university history that stretches all the way back to 1837.”
Jean Hardiman is a Uniontown, Ohio, native who moved to Huntington 17 years ago to work at The Herald-Dispatch. She is a freelance writer, and is married with two young daughters and a grown stepdaughter.
Photos: (Top two) President Gilbert will be officially welcomed to the university with an investiture ceremony honoring him as Marshall’s 37th president. (Third from top)President Gilbert congratulates a graduate walking across the stage at the 2016 commencement ceremony. (Fourth from top) President Gilbert greets Norma and Charles Carroll, two of Marshall’s most generous benefactors and alumni, at the president’s house.