Hendrix Magazine

Leadership of a National Leader

Hendrix is a national leader in engaged liberal arts and sciences education. That was the goal set by the Board of Trustees in 2003 and accomplished through A Commitment to National Leadership.

"This campaign gave us the momentum to enhance the Hendrix experience by increasing scholarships, supporting faculty and student Odysseys, and building critical new buildings on campus," said R. Madison Murphy ’80, Chairman of the Board of Trustees.

Murphy and his wife, Suzanne Nodini Murphy ’80, co-chaired the campaign with Board of Trustee member Dan Peregrin ’80 and his wife, Jennifer Jacuzzi Peregrin ’81.

"We are deeply grateful to the many alumni and friends of who have made this success possible," the Peregrins said. "The campaign has brought national attention to Hendrix for its focus on offering unique learning opportunities to students."

The institutional goal of national leadership would not be possible without the individual leadership exemplified throughout the campaign by Hendrix faculty, staff and the Board of Trustees, said President J. Timothy Cloyd.

Cloyd praised Murphy’s leadership of the Board of Trustees.

"The Murphy family’s generosity has historically been very instrumental in the progress of Hendrix," Cloyd said. "And Madison’s leadership, commitment and vision have been critical to our continued success and the success of our campaign."

Murphy is likewise appreciative of the role of Dr. Cloyd, who became the tenth President of Hendrix in 2001 after serving as Vice President for College Relations and Development.

"He rose to the challenge boldly, creatively, and entrepreneurially," Murphy said. "In addition to seeking the funding to complete the campaign, he found more work to be done."

"Through his persistence, we have the Hendrix Miller Center for Vocation, Ethics, and Calling, which furthers the College’s foundation as a United Methodist Church institution and places faith exploration and life calling as a central part of a liberal arts education; The Crain-Maling Center of Jewish Culture, which celebrates the growing diversity of the student body; The Village at Hendrix, a walk-able New Urbanist neighborhood that echoes institutional values with regard to sustainable community development; a new student and faculty exchange program in Harbin, China, and other international alliances that prepare students to be leaders in a global society; the Rwanda Presidential Scholars Program, which recognizes the role we can play in helping other nations recover from events we cannot imagine," said Murphy. "To me, Hendrix would not be the institution it is today without him."