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William & Mary formally inaugurates first female president

The college's 326th Charter Day will see the inauguration of President Katherine A. Rowe and the re-investiture of Chancellor Robert M. Gates, the former U.S. Secretary of Defense who serves in a largely ceremonial role.

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — The College of William & Mary is formally inaugurating its first female president, who has already served more than six months in the role.

The Virginia college's 326th Charter Day on Friday will see the inauguration of President Katherine A. Rowe and the re-investiture of Chancellor Robert M. Gates, the former U.S. Secretary of Defense who serves in a largely ceremonial role.

Rowe launched a listening initiative in August called "Thinking Forward," which aimed to hear from the university community on the future of knowledge, work and service. Findings from these sessions was presented Friday morning. 

The day will also feature more than 140 delegates representing academic institutions and societies from around the world. The evening will end with a block party and comedy show.

Rowe is hailed as a leader in digital innovation of the liberal arts. She is the former provost of Smith College in Massachusetts. 

“This community is so excited to have a woman president,” one William & Mary student said.

While spirits were high on campus, there was lots of chatter about who was supposed to be at charter day but wasn’t, Governor Ralph Northam.

Northam is under fire after an offensive picture surfaced from his 1984 Eastern Virginia Medical School yearbook. It shows a person in blackface and another in a KKK outfit. Northam said he wasn’t in the picture but apologized for it being on his page.

“On campus people are upset about it,” another student said.

On Monday, Rowe put out a statement saying that it was clear the governor’s presence would fundamentally disrupt the sense of campus unity we aspire to and hope for with this event. The school and his office agreed he shouldn’t come.

Students like Travis Ramlow think it was the right decision.

“I think what he did was ridiculous, and it shined a light on some of the issues we have in this country,” Ramlow said.

Rowes says her focus is on William & Mary. She's embracing the college's history, and ready to make more.

William & Mary became the first coeducational public university in Virginia in 1918.

Last year, the college honored the first 24 women to enroll as students.

You can read more about charter day here.

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