Apr 25, 2017 3 min read

Before the start of the 2017-18 academic year, John Knapp will join the likes of James Brownson, Ralph Cooper Hutchison and Howard Burnett when he becomes the 13th president of Washington & Jefferson College. The announcement that the 57-year-old native of the Atlanta area will become W&J’s next leader came last week, with Richard Clark, chairman of the college’s board of trustees, explaining Knapp’s management experience and a record of working with faculty made him a strong candidate, along with commitments to the liberal arts and ethical leadership.

Indeed, Knapp brings a rich and varied résumé to the job. He has a degree in urban life from Georgia State University, a master’s in theological studies from Atlanta’s Columbia Theological Seminary and a doctorate in theology and religious studies from the University of Wales. He founded and directed the Center for Ethics and Corporate Responsibility at Georgia State, then founded and directed the Frances Marlin Mann Center for Ethics and Leadership at Samford University in Alabama. Then, in 2013, he became president of Hope College in the western part of Michigan.

While at Hope College, Knapp survived an ouster attempt by members of the college’s board, who were apparently upset Knapp asked one of the college’s provosts to resign. However, faculty, alumni and students at the college stood by Knapp, and they praised him for the good relationships he had forged with faculty, his dedication to the school’s religious and educational missions and for his efforts in welcoming gay people and adherents of other faiths to campus.

During his tenure at Hope College, Knapp also directed the construction of several facilities on campus that were funded through a capital campaign that yielded a little more than $200 million.

When he was introduced to the W&J community last week, Knapp said, “Hope College is a great place, and Washington & Jefferson is one of the finest liberal arts undergraduate colleges there is. It is strong and getting stronger all the time. This is an opportunity to lead a college that is well positioned and well led.”

Knapp said he recognizes the need to build what he called “a recruiting footprint” beyond this region, given the reduced number of prospective students in Western Pennsylvania.

We also hope Knapp takes steps to further integrate the college into the Washington community as a whole. Doing so would provide a boost to the city, particularly its downtown, and would help make W&J an even more attractive prospect for potential students.

We also hope Knapp is an unabashed champion for the liberal arts. Too often, the value of majoring in history, philosophy or art is given short shrift compared to subjects that might offer more immediate or lucrative job opportunities upon graduation. While we recognize student loans aren’t going to pay for themselves and there’s nothing inherently wrong with wanting a decent salary once you’ve joined the workforce, being familiar with Kant or being able to identify a painting by Klimt can lay the foundation for careers in a lot of different areas.

A new chapter in W&J’s history is about to be written. We wish Knapp the best of luck.