courtesy Rhodes College
There’s no set template for the day-to-day life of a college president. The calendar constantly throws out various obstacles and challenges, requiring on-the-fly thinking. For new Rhodes College president Marjorie Hass, taking the helm of the school meant overcoming several personal and social hurdles. The first was the decision to leave her comfortable position in a city she’d grown to love. For eight years prior to accepting the job in Memphis, Hass had served as the president of Austin College, a liberal arts school in the city of Sherman, Texas.
A native of Chicago, Illinois, Hass received a bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree in philosophy from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She cut her teeth in education early as an assistant professor of philosphy at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Her ascension through the ranks there included the positions of interim dean of faculty and vice president for academic affairs before being appointed as the college’s first provost.
After exemplary work at Muhlenberg College, she was offered the position of president at Austin College in Sherman, where she supplemented her education experience as a board member of the Council for Independent Colleges and a presidential sponsor for the Texas Women in Higher Education conference.
Sherman, a small city with a population of around 40,000, close to the northern border of Texas, is a different beast than Memphis. Rather than have jitters about the move, however, Hass jumped into her new city and culture with aplomb. “It’s been a pleasure to join the Rhodes community and of course the larger Memphis community,” she says. “July 1st was my first day here, and my husband and I were able to jump right into some of the cultural offerings of the city.”
Certainly, in terms of cultural adaptation, there haven’t been any growing pains. Hass already looks at home in her new office, sipping herbal tea from a large red Rhodes mug, and has identified Barret Library, the refectory, and a pointed archway by Robinson Hall as some of her favorite spots on campus. A whirlwind first few months provided exposure to some of the city’s best offerings, including the final performance of Aida at Hattiloo Theatre, several trips to the National Civil Rights Museum, and restaurants ranging from The Four Way to The Peabody. When pressed about the debate between Memphis barbecue and that of her home state of Texas, she diplomatically talks up the qualities of both styles.
Hass’ desire to connect with her new surroundings has made the transition easier, with the Rhodes community offering a welcoming hand. Faculty speak highly of her. “For 18 years, Rhodes was blessed with President Troutt’s thoughtful leadership,” says Cary Fowler, a Rhodes alumnus and chair of the board of trustees. “The tradition continues with the arrival of President Hass, whose passion for the mission of the college and whose boundless positive energy will enthuse and inspire all in her orbit.” For Rhodes, Hass’ appointment signals a new direction for the school. She is not only the first female president of the institution, but also the school’s first Jewish president.
One student was so excited at the new appointment that she created the #breakingthestainedglassceiling hashtag. “That was great,” says Hass, “but it’s also been wonderful to be welcomed not just by the new students — we’re starting as freshmen together and I’ve had several opportunities to meet them as a group — but by the upperclassmen. They’ve been very welcoming, very forthcoming about what they think makes Rhodes a special place, and really eager to see what the college will become under my leadership.”
photograph Courtesy Rhodes College
President Marjorie Hass addresses students in the entryway to the recently finished Robertson Hall.
For her part, Hass doesn’t want to take up the mantle of Rhodes president and simply maintain the status quo. Rather, her sights are set on analyzing what the school’s strengths are, what it needs to do better, and how the administration can implement a strategic plan going forward. Several new undertakings have already improved the college; chief among them is the unveiling of a new science building. In August, Rhodes finished construction on Robertson Hall, a $34 million facility with more than 50,000 square feet of study, classroom, and research space.
The new space supplements what was already a strong science program at the school. “Rhodes sends more students to medical school than probably any other small liberal arts college,” says Hass. “Our numbers rival many of the larger institutions and universities as well, not just in terms of percentage, but the number of students. We’d already built a world-class faculty and attracted some of the most talented students in the country, and now we have a facility that lives up to that reputation.”
To accompany Robertson Hall, Rhodes also renovated Briggs Hall, which is now dedicated to computer science and holds a virtual reality lab, and connected the two buildings with the Bill and Carole Troutt Quadrangle.
Despite the many positive developments happening on campus every day, the start of Hass’ tenure was nearly thrown into turmoil. Two months after the announcement of her appointment in December 2016, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
“I was floating on air, and preparing for a semester of transition, and then I heard this news,” she says. “I would say the first reaction was, like anyone who receives a serious medical diagnosis, shock.”
Luckily for Hass, doctors detected the cancer early and were able to provide treatment. After outpatient surgery and a week of abbreviated radiation therapy, they suggested chemotherapy to prevent recurrence. The treatment cycle proved tricky; chemotherapy is a very difficult process, especially during a heavy period of both personal and professional transition. The news couldn’t have come at a worse time, with Hass ready to begin the next step of her career in a new position away from a city she’d known for eight years. However, she decided to undergo the chemotherapy over the summer. One session was typically followed by several weeks of recuperation before having to go back in for a follow-up. Over the summer, she attended four sessions before being cleared.
The process, while daunting, didn’t get her down, and she wants to use the experience to help others who are in her position.
President Marjorie Hass looks over notes while preparing to address Rhodes students and faculty.
“I’m grateful for the women who have shared their breast cancer stories with me,” says Hass, “and I’ve made myself a commitment to share my story with others, if only to make people realize they’re not alone.” She cites a wonderful support network as a critical component of making it through and encourages women to continually take preventive measures.
“I was fortunate that my breast cancer was detected early, making my treatment much less onerous and making me feel much less at risk,” she says. “Early detection is very important, so I encourage women to get regular mammograms, and to ask for 3D imaging if the mammograms won’t be enough.”
It’s impossible to detect that Hass has just gone through chemotherapy considering the fervor in which she’s leapt into her new role. While some might struggle with the process, she’s already thinking about the school’s next steps toward the future. One major goal is to expand Rhodes’ community outreach. While the school already provides many student interns and employees to various businesses and organizations throughout the city, Hass believes Rhodes should act as a local and national leader for liberal arts education. Having worked in education since the 1990’s, Hass has a pretty good idea of what makes a liberal arts education successful.
“The notion that you provide an education where talented students spend time and build relationships with world-class professors, and in a setting that fosters community and engagement, that’s where my heart is,” she says.
Hass doesn’t want that community and engagement to apply only to current Rhodes students either. While the gates around campus may be off-putting to outsiders, the school’s West Campus expansion was designed to specifically create a more accessible space. The college bookstore, which joins two residence halls and a campus safety office, recently moved across University Street, while several administrative buildings are centered there as well. Going forward, there are plenty of opportunities for that space, and the school is thinking hard about what they can do with West Campus.
“I think there are many open questions for Rhodes about what the future will be for the space,” says Hass. “As part of our strategic planning process we’ll be having that conversation, but it does create the opportunity for us to create spaces that are explicitly welcoming to the community.”
Establishing a well-rounded and engaging community relationship benefits both Memphis and the school’s academic curriculum. While Rhodes already has a strong foundation for liberal arts education, Hass wants to mold the school into an even better version of itself. “I think we need to think about the next step in terms of how we will continue to keep the institution vibrant and alive, and how we will continue to do our best to make it affordable to our students,” she says. “I’ve been challenging our faculty, staff, and students to think about ways that Rhodes can grow toward that.”
Sometimes change can be tough. Rhodes is already recognized for its academic achievement, but schools can always improve, and Hass wants to lead the charge into the future. Community outreach, a beautiful campus, and new facilities are all beneficial to the advancement of learning, but at its core, everything the school does is designed to improve its students.
“What matters most to Rhodes is not our buildings, but what happens inside them,” Hass says. “It’s that relationship-driven teaching and learning that is the hallmark of a Rhodes education.”
