Christendom College will formally install George A. Harne, Ph.D., as the college’s fourth president on Sunday, August 25, 2024. The installation ceremony — which marks a significant milestone in the history of the college — will follow the 10:00 a.m. Mass in Christ the King Chapel, celebrated by the Most Reverend Michael Burbidge, Bishop of Arlington.
Dr. Harne began his tenure as Christendom’s president on July 1, 2024, succeeding Dr. Timothy O’Donnell, who served the college for over three decades. The installation ceremony will mark the formal start of Dr. Harne’s presidency, beginning with an academic procession from Old Chapel Hall. Christendom’s faculty, Chairman of the Board Stephen O’Keefe, Dr. Harne, and Bishop Burbidge will all march in the procession, making their way to Christ the King Chapel for 10:00 a.m. Mass.
Following Mass, O’Keefe will deliver remarks on the history and mission of the college before introducing Dr. Harne on behalf of the college’s Board of Directors. He will then charge Dr. Harne to lead the college as its fourth president. Following O’Keefe, Bishop Burbidge will welcome Dr. Harne on behalf of the Diocese of Arlington and will bless the chain of office. Dr. Harne will then take the oath of office and President Emeritus Dr. Timothy O’Donnell will present him with the chain of office. Concluding the ceremony, Dr. Harne will deliver his inaugural address as president, outlining his vision for the future of Christendom College.
The installation ceremony — only the third in the history of the college — will be the first opportunity for the college’s entire staff, faculty, and student body to gather to welcome Dr. Harne and show their support for his leadership. While the installation ceremony will be an invite-only event, the ceremony will be live-streamed so that people will be able to virtually participate across the globe.
Christendom’s Board of Directors appointed Dr. Harne to be the college’s fourth president on March 25, 2024. A widely respected and accomplished scholar of music history and the liberal arts, Dr. Harne earned his Ph.D. from Princeton University and received master’s degrees from Princeton, St. John’s College, and the University of Washington. Dr. Harne, who previously served as the Executive Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences for the University of St. Thomas in Houston and as President of Magdalen College of the Liberal Arts, brings with him extensive experience in both the administrative and academic dimensions of higher education, making him ideally suited to serve as Christendom’s fourth president.
Dr. Harne begins his tenure at a pivotal moment for Christendom College, which is consistently recognized for its rigorous, authentically Catholic liberal arts education. The college recently celebrated its 45th anniversary with the dedication of its new Christ the King Chapel, while also setting records in admissions and fundraising. The college also recently was awarded reaffirmation of its accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), following several years of hard work and preparation by the college’s accreditation team.
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