10th Anniversary 2002-03

The Jepson School Marks 10 Years of Leading the Way in 2002-03
Honors and Accomplishments, Class of 2003
Photo Gallery of Reunion Weekend
2002-03 Annual Report

In 1992, a courageous experiment in higher education opened its doors at the University of Richmond. Creating a separate school as a nexus for the study of leadership and rigorous academics was a bold step. The idea was the vision of Robert S. Jepson Jr., a business leader who understood the complexities of leadership. The founding faculty created the Jepson School of Leadership Studies, a learning community for and about leadership, with the mission to develop people who understand the moral responsibilities of leadership and are prepared to exercise leadership in service to society.

Today, that vision is realized—living and growing. Graduates are making a mark on the world. Faculty, as authors, lecturers, and teachers, pursue interests from the global to the local. Our reach is growing, through collaborations, research, partnerships, service, and public programs that bring world-class speakers and powerful ideas to Richmond. In observance of the anniversary, the school expanded its annual Jepson Leadership Forum series, staged its first large community service project and hosted a film festival focused on social change and leadership with the help of scholars in English and history departments. The season’s pastiche of programs engaged the students, alumni and metro Richmond citizens in a broad and challenging discussion for and about leadership. Among the sessions was an elections forum and a group of workshops for alumni during Homecoming Weekend.

The year-long celebration culminated Reunion Weekend, April 25-27, 2003 with scholarly and social activities on campus and off.

On Friday, April 25, 2003 the celebration opened with remarks by James MacGregor Burns, a nationally prominent historian who is a senior faculty member at Jepson, the country’s first stand-alone school for leadership studies and named for its principal benefactor, business executive Robert S. Jepson.

Dr. Burns, whose subjects have included such historic leaders as President Franklin D. Roosevelt, focused on his latest book, “Transforming Leadership: The Pursuit of Happiness.” Following Dr. Burns’ talk was a reception for Jepson alumni. In addition to graduates, guests included faculty and friends. About 400 people attended.

Despite a driving rainstorm outside, Friday’s event inside the Jepson Alumni Center Pavilion was a spirited, upbeat affair. And, though Bob Jepson did not attend the weekend-long celebration, he was very much on the minds of participants. Joanna B. Ciulla, who holds the Coston Family Chair in Leadership and Ethics, described Jepson as a “bigger-than-life character” who “let us do our work; led us make our mistakes.”

On Saturday and Sunday, April 26-27, nearly 20 visiting scholars from across the country joined Dr. Burns in discussions on developing an integrated theory of leadership. On Sunday evening, activities shifted several miles east, from the university’s leafy campus to the ornate Hotel Jefferson in downtown Richmond for a commemorative, black-tie dinner featuring remarks by David Gergen, the journalist and former White House adviser.

Gergen, co-director of the Center for Public Leadership at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University , described leadership as the “X factor in human affairs.” “Individuals matter; individual leaders matter,” Gergen told his audience of students, alumni and political, corporate, community and academic leaders.

A counselor to four presidents -- three Republicans and one Democrat – Gergen emphasized that leadership studies should be primarily directed at young people, many of whom are turned off by the hurly-burly of politics and public policy. “We need to re-engage the younger generation; go deeper and build this field,” he said. After a decade, the topic is firmly rooted at Jepson.

As Jonathan Zur, president of the Jepson Student Government Association, put it, the school is producing “socially engaged citizens.”

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