When it came time to select its sixteenth president last spring, Moravian College and Moravian Theological Seminary chose one of its own. On April 12, Bryon Grigsby, a 1990 graduate of the college, was inaugurated president of the sixth oldest college in the nation. The inauguration ceremony began with a procession, which included college and seminary faculty, administrators and alumni; guests and representatives of other academic institutions who donned colorful academic attire for the occasion. Three bagpipers led the procession around the campus.

As the group entered Johnston Hall for the installation, the Moravian College Wind Ensemble played God of Our Fathers and Song of the Women's Army Corps. Andrew Hart, Inaugural Co-Chair, welcomed his former classmate on behalf of the College and Seminary Trustees and Alumni. Other speakers included faculty and student representatives of the college and seminary, community representative Mayor Robert Donchez, and Cedar Crest College President Carmen Twillie Ambar, who spoke on behalf of the Lehigh Valley Association of Independent Colleges. Presentations were interspersed with choral music by the Moravian Choir at times accompanied by the Moravian College Wind Ensemble.

In his address Timothy Semonich, a transfer student, now president of the United Student Government, declared that for him "Moravian is not just a college, it has become a home." Semonich asked the audience to welcome the new president back home and praised Grigsby for keeping regular office hours so that members of the college community can talk to him one-on-one.

An English major at Moravian, Grigsby had studied with Emeritus Professor and former English Department Chairman Dr. Robert Burcaw who recalled working with the new President years ago. Grigsby credited Burcaw with changing him "from a jock to a scholar." After graduating, Grigsby earned a masters degree in English literature at Wake Forest University and a Ph.D in English literature at Loyola University. He also studied at Oxford University.

Dr. Tracy Fitzsimmons, president of Shenandoah University, recalled that, while Grigsby served as senior vice president there, he encountered "considerable resistance to incorporating new technologies into higher education." But, she said, Grigsby "showed us that we can use technology to build community."

Grigsby's interest in innovation was on full display during his inaugural address. He celebrated the Moravians who believed in "innovation and community," establishing the first school to teach native American languages, and providing education for all, rich and poor, women and men.

Grigsby hopes to continue the Moravian tradition of fostering community by encouraging service learning and volunteerism to "give back to the community that gives us so much." In addition, students should develop the ability to address societal problems.

Besides fostering community, Grigsby would like to continue the Moravian tradition of being innovative. He has arranged to have a Professor from Oxford University teach a course at Moravian each year.

Grigsby would like every Moravian undergraduate to have an opportunity to work or study in another country. In addition to becoming good global citizens, students must learn the technology they will need in their work, he declared. He called on the institution to "be revolutionary" rather than being "comfortable with the status quo of liberal arts colleges. Our students can do it, the college can do it, and our nation needs it."