WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-Dartmouth Inaugurates 17th President

Dartmouth Inaugurates 17th President

Hanover, New Hampshire - September 22, 2009

Members of the Korean Traditional Performing Arts Association led the precession to kick off Tuesday's celebration. On this day, a new leader took the helm-- continuing a legacy started 240 years ago. Former President James Wright acknowledged the college's founding father before symbolically handing over the reins.

"And I now affirm and personally pledge that the bond of the Wheelock succession will support you as you lead this noble institution," Wright said.

Dr. Jim Yong Kim is a pioneer of Global Health, world renowned for his work with tuberculosis and HIV. During his speech, he dared students to dream even during current times of economic and social crisis.

"But just to dream is not enough you must deliver on the dream where previous generations have fallen short," Kim said.

Kim is the first Asian-American president of an Ivy League school. It was only fitting that the first African-American Ivy League president-- Ruth Simmons of Brown University was on hand. Simmons says issues like race and ethnicity should be used as an opportunity to learn.

"What we want to do is not to eradicate evidence of race, or ethnicity, or background. We want to learn how to mind those differences to the advantage of society," Simmons said.

Students who attended the ceremony-- including several freshmen-- said that Kim was a factor in their decision to attend the college.

"His visionary qualities and I guess I was pretty fortunate to come to Dartmouth at the time he was here. So, it would be a time of change," said Cecil Qiu, of the class of 2013.

Kim has been on the job since July. He says that he is continuing to learn new things about school.

"You don't survive, and thrive and change for 240 years and not have some complexity. So that it has been like for me. To begin to get the flavor and the taste of the complexity and really the wonderful community here at Dartmouth," Kim said.

Kim says that out of all his accomplishments so far in life, taking over as president of Dartmouth College is his single greatest achievement.

Adam Sullivan - WCAX News