VOL 6 NO. 1
STETSON UNIVERSITY, DELAND, FLORIDA
July, 1977
Trustees Elect President
— Dr. Pope A. Duncan -
Dr. Pope A. Duncan, president of
Georgia Southern College, Statesboro, Ga., was elected president of
Stetson University at a special meeting of the board of trustees in April.
The 56-year-old educator and administrator has served as president
of Georgia Southern since 1971. He
assumes his responsibilities as the
seventh president of Florida's oldest
institution of higher learning this
month.
The announcement of the election
of Dr. Duncan came during a news
conference at Stetson and climaxed
a nine-month search by a special
trustee search committee to fill the
post. Dr. John Pelham, chairman of
trustees, and Dr. Earl B. Edington,
chairman of the trustee search committee, made the announcement.
"The trustees are convinced that
Dr. Duncan will provide the necessary leadership which will enable
Stetson University to maintain and
•strengthen its posture as a Christian
university committed to the highest
goals of academic excellence," Dr.
Pelham stated in making the announcement.
"Dr. Duncan has an outstanding
reputation as both a scholar and an
administrator. He has nearly 20 years
of experience in teaching on a university level and 15 years in university administration. His laurels in
scholarship are most eminent."
Dr. Duncan stated, "I look forward
to joining with the trustees, faculty,
students, alumni, and supporters in
continuing the strong tradition of
quality at Stetson."
"None of us associated with the
University will be satisfied with less
than our being the very best in all
our programs," he continued. "The
commitment expressed in the motto,
'For God and for Truth,' is very
deeply embedded in Stetson's tradition and is one which I cherish."
"The years leading to the celebration of the Centennial in 1983 should
be especially exciting and productive ones. With the support of all our
constituencies, including especially
alumni, the DeLand community and
Florida Baptists, we shall continue to
fulfill the expectations of greatness."
Dr. Duncan received a B.S. from
the University of Georgia in 1940 with
PRESIDENTIAL CHOICE ANNOUNCED - Stetson's board of trustees announced the election of Dr. Pope A. Duncan, second from right, as president
of the university at an April press conference in DeLand. Dr. George R.
Borders, '61, right, and trustee Earl B. Edington joined board chairman John
Pelham, '50, in the announcement.
Stetson president and new first lady
Margaret Flexer Duncan
a masters in physics in 1941. He received a Th.M. from Southern Baptist
Theological Seminary in 1944 and a
Ph.D. from that school in 1947. He
has had post doctoral studies at
Union Theological Seminary, the University of Zurich and research at Oxford University.
The election of Dr. Duncan as president of Stetson will be a reunion for
the new chief executive. He served
on the faculty of Stetson in the late
1940's as professor of religion.
"I am personally delighted, and I
know I express the feelings of members of the university community
when I say how pleased we are to
have a man of the quality, character
and ability of Dr. Pope Duncan," Dr.
George R. Borders, '61, the university's chief administrative officer,
pointed out.
"He possesses all of those qualities necessary to lead Stetson as it
continues its tradition of excellence
in Christian higher education."
An ordained Baptist minister, Dr.
Duncan served pastorates in Kentucky and interim pastorates in numerous churches including the First
Baptist Church in DeLand and the
Wieuca Road Baptist Church in Atlanta.
Dr. Duncan is listed in Who's Who
in America, Who's Who in American
College and University Administration, Dictionary of International
Scholars Directory and the Dictionary of American Scholars.
He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa
and has served in numerous positions of leadership in that prestigious
fraternity of scholars.
Dr. Duncan has served as president of the Georgia Association of
Colleges and the Georgia Association of Educators. He has served as
chairman of the Council of Presidents of the Southern Consortium for
International Education.
He serves on the committee on
workshops and conferences of the
American Association of State Colleges and Universities, the Georgia
Committee for the Humanities, the
Georgia State-wide Advisory Committee for the American Issues Forum
and as a consultant for the National
Endowment for the Humanities.
The son of a Baptist minister, Dr.
Duncan is a native of Glasgow, Ky.,
and is married to Margaret Flexer
Duncan of Brunswick, Ga. They have
three daughters, Mary Margaret, Annie Laurie and Katherine Maxwell,
and two grandchildren.
