Peter W. Stanley | |
---|---|
8th President of Pomona College | |
In office 1991–2003 | |
Preceded by | David Alexander |
Succeeded by | David W. Oxtoby |
Personal details | |
Born | 1940 |
Alma mater | Harvard University |
Profession | Academic |
Peter William Stanley [1] (born 1940) [1] is an American historian and academic administrator who served as the eighth president of Pomona College. [2] A scholar of Asian studies, his tenure at Pomona coincided with a substantial increase in the college's endowment and prestige. [2]
Stanley earned his BA and doctorate degrees at Harvard University. [3] He was a Frank Knox Memorial Fellow at Jesus College, Cambridge University. [3] He subsequently taught Asian history at the University of Illinois and Harvard, and served as the chief academic officer at Carleton College for a year. [2] From 1979 to 1987, he directed the education and culture program at the Ford Foundation. [1] [4]
Stanley became president of Pomona College in 1991. [4] During his tenure, he oversaw a number of construction projects, including most prominently the Smith Campus Center (1999), [5] that modernized the college's facilities while restoring elements of Myron Hunt's master plan that had degraded over time. [4] He also led the extremely successful Campaign for Pomona College from 1997 to 2002, which ultimately raised over $206 million, far exceeding its goal. [4] Pomona's endowment increased from $364 million to $1.1. billion over the course of his presidency. [2]
After Pomona, he became vice president of the executive search firm Isaacson. [3]
Stanley married Mary-Jane Cosgrove in 1978, [6][ better source needed] and had one daughter, Laura. [2] After retiring from Pomona, Stanley moved with his wife to Old Saybrook, Connecticut; she died in January 2020 after 42 years of marriage. [6][ better source needed]
The Peter W. Stanley Academic Quadrangle at Pomona is named in his honor. The college also awarded him an honorary degree at its 2008 commencement ceremony. [3]