Colby VP Randy Helm Named President Of Muhlenberg College
Peyton R. (Randy) Helm has been selected to be the eleventh president of Muhlenberg College. He will assume his duties July 1. He is currently a vice president for college relations at Colby College, where he is also a professor of classics.Monday, March 24, 2003 00:32 PM
Peyton R. (Randy) Helm has been selected to be the eleventh president of Muhlenberg College. He will assume his duties July 1. He is currently a vice president for college relations at Colby College, where he is also a professor of classics.
Helm succeeds Arthur R. Taylor, who was president from August 1992 through July 2002. James Steffy has been interim president since August 12, 2002.
“We had an extremely strong pool of candidates, but Randy stood out and was a clear choice,” said Harvey L. Benenson, chair of the search committee. “His record and leadership skills are exceptional, and the committee was extremely impressed with his achievements and his vision.”
Helm is a 1970 magna cum laude graduate of Yale University. He received his Ph.D. in ancient history from the University of Pennsylvania in 1980. Helm served as coordinator of Penn’s College House Program from 1981 through 1984. He spent the next four years in the development office in the School of Arts & Sciences at Penn.
In 1988, Helm was appointed vice president for development and alumni relations at Colby. In 2001, he became vice president for college relations. In addition to his administrative duties, he is a professor of classical studies, most recently teaching a course titled “Homer, Herodotus and the Invention of History.”
“I’m a fervent advocate of liberal arts education as the best possible preparation for lives of leadership, service and life-long learning,” says Helm, “and Muhlenberg is one of the relatively small number of liberal arts colleges that combine a close, nurturing community with dedication to teaching and scholarship. The extraordinary efforts and dedication of Muhlenberg’s faculty, students, staff and board leadership, and their commitment to a shared set of values, have made this College a national treasure.
“Muhlenberg College is very much on the rise,” he says. “It has set records for freshman applications in seven of the last eight years and generated powerful outcomes for its graduates in terms of jobs, and graduate and professional school acceptance rates. This is an exciting environment and I am excited about joining the Muhlenberg community.”
While at Colby, Helm directed a capital campaign that raised $150 million, far exceeding the goal of $100 million. During his tenure at Colby, the college more than tripled its unrestricted gifts to the annual fund, while raising participation above the 50 percent mark.
“We are extremely excited about the future of Muhlenberg College,” says John M. Heffer, chair of the board of trustees. “The College is in a strong position to continue its tradition of excellence. Jim Steffy and the senior management team have done a superb job during the past year, and we expect Randy to provide strong leadership for many years to come.”
Helm is married to Patricia Burton Helm, currently an adjunct assistant professor of music at Colby. They have two sons, ages 20 and 17.
“Randy Helm has been an exceptional leader at Colby for the past 15
years and a highly valued member of the senior administrative staff,” says Colby President William D. Adams. “I will miss his wisdom and experience, and I believe Muhlenberg College is fortunate indeed in its choice.”
Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg College is a highly selective liberal arts college in Allentown, Pa. It is an independent, undergraduate, co-educational institution related to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Presidents of Muhlenberg College 1848-2003
1848-1867 Four principals of the Allentown Seminary, President
Of the Allentown Collegiate and Military Institute and a President of the Allentown Collegiate Institute.
1867-1876 Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg
1877-1885 J.P. Benjamin Sadtler
1886-1903 Theodore Lorenzo Seip
1903-1904 William Wackernagel (acting)
1904-1936 John A.W. Haas
1936-1937 Robert C. Horn (acting)
1937-1951 Levering Tyson
1951-1952 Quintity (five-man acting committee)
1952-1953 Morris S. Greth (acting)
1953-1961 J. Conrad Seegers
1961-1969 Erling N. Jensen
1969-1984 John H. Morey
1984-1992 Jonathan C. Messerli
1992-2002 Arthur R. Taylor
2002-2003 James B. Steffy (interim)
2003- Peyton R. Helm
THE SEARCH COMMITTEE
Trustees:
Harvey L. Benenson, Chair
Roy G. Almquist '62
Arthur A. Altman '53
Paul C. Brucker '53
Richard R. Brueckner '71
Lona M. Farr '62
John M. Heffer
Wayne R. Keck '44
William D. Miers '49
Thomas W. Mendham '63
James A. Skidmore, Jr. '54
Mitchell J. Slater '83
Alumni Association President:
John B. Rosenberg '63
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
Leonard Schulze
Faculty:
Patrice DiQuinzio
Associate Professor of Philosophy
Richard A. Niesenbaum
Associate Professor of Biology
Frederick Norling
Associate Professor of Business
Students:
Abigail Thompson '03
Seth Williams '03
Staff:
Christopher Hooker-Haring '72
Dean of Admission and Fin. Aid
James Steffy
Interim President
Peyton R. Helm
(brief bio)
Professional Experience
2003 - President
Muhlenberg College
2001 – 2003 Vice President for College Relations
Colby College
1988 – 2001 Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations,
Colby College
1986 – 1988 Director of Development
School of Arts and Sciences
University of Pennsylvania
1984 – 1986 Associate Director of Development
School of Arts and Sciences
University of Pennsylvania
1981 – 1984 Coordinator of College House Programs
University of Pennsylvania
1979 – 1981 Senior Administrative Fellow
Hill College House
University of Pennsylvania
Teaching Experience
1988 – 2003 Professor of Classical Studies
Colby College
1981 – 1988 Adjunct Asst. Professor of Ancient History and Urban Studies
University of Pennsylvania
Education
1980 Ph.D., Ancient History
University of Pennsylvania
1970 B.A. Archaeology, magna cum laude
Yale University
