Dr. Scott Colley Named President of Lees-McRae College

Dr. Scott Colley, president emeritus of Berry College in Georgia, will be the new president of Lees-McRae College beginning June 1.

The Lees-McRae College Board of Trustees, under the leadership of Jane B. Stephenson, elected Dr. Scott Colley, president emeritus of Berry College in Georgia, to be president of Lees-McRae beginning June 1.

Colley brings years of experience in higher education administration to the college including strategic planning, capitol fund management and alumni relations.

“We are delighted to have as our next President an experienced educator who not only has been a college president, but has taught college level English, served as a department chair and as a provost. Dr. Colley’s wealth of experience will be most beneficial to Lees-McRae College and we look forward to Dr. Colley and his wife becoming an important addition to the college family,” said Jane B. Stephenson, chair of the board of trustees.

While serving Berry College from 1998 to 2006, Colley led the college during a successful $100 million campaign. During his tenure, the college thoroughly renovated two major classroom buildings and an alumni center, constructed a new science building and residence hall and began construction of a new student athletic center.

Prior to serving as president of Berry College, Colley served as provost and dean of the faculty of Hampden-Sydney College from 1988 to 1998. In addition to administrative duties, he continued to teach freshman writing courses, surveys of literature, humanities and Shakespeare. He currently serves as a faculty member of the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies Program at the University of Virginia.

Colley also served on the faculty of Vanderbilt University for 20 years. He was a member of the English department from 1968 to 1988. In 1981, he was named associate dean of the college, later serving as chair of the department of English.

A graduate of Randolph-Macon College in Virginia, Dr. Colley earned his Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from the University of Chicago. He has published three dozen scholarly articles and reviews in such publications as Medieval and Renaissance Drama in England, Shakespeare Quarterly and Shakespeare Studies. He is the editor or co-editor of two Shakespeare editions and author of books on 17th-century playwright John Marston and Shakespeare’s Richard III.

For more information, click to www.lmc.edu.