Presidents of the College
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Creation Date
1910
Description
Appointed in 1909, Rev. William Cunningham Rodgers brought new energy to St. Stephen’s as the sixth president of the college, serving until 1919. Signaling the changes he was to make, Rodgers changed his title to president, (though B.I. Bell again carried the title of warden for several years). Under the Rodgers administration, the campus was modernized: Electricity, a sewage system, and central heating systems were all installed. The Chapel was remodeled, and Gerry House was built to house the president’s family, as well as serve as a gathering place for entertaining students, staff, faculty, and guests. To make way for Gerry House, it was necessary to move the observatory down the hill, where the structure still stands as the chaplain’s office. Gerry House was built from funds donated by Robert L. Gerry, with the condition that the ritual in the college chapel should become more "High-Church." There was opposition on campus to these changes and when Rev. Rodgers did not institute the changes the Gerry's were not pleased, and cut off funding halfway through construction. Dr. Rodgers resigned in 1918.
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