At Founders Porch, Three College Presidents Talk Shop

In a moment of Haverfordian serendipity, Sarah Willie-LeBreton ’86 and Garry W. Jenkins ’92 reached the pinnacle of their distinguished academic careers on exactly the same day last summer. On July 1, separated by just a 300-mile stretch of I-95, Willie-LeBreton and Jenkins became the next presidents of Smith and Bates colleges, respectively. In doing so, they became the most recent additions to a lengthy list of Fords who have leveraged their Haverford experiences and education as higher ed leaders.

While their backgrounds may vary — Willie-LeBreton is a sociologist and former Swarthmore provost, while Jenkins is an authority on nonprofits who previously served as dean of University of Minnesota Law School — both presidents’ leadership styles are steeped in their Haverford experiences, including Quaker traditions and experiences with the Honor Council and Customs program. Both joined President Wendy Raymond on March 13 for the spring edition of Founders Porch, a virtual series that gathers the College community for vibrant discussion.

Appearing live via Zoom from their presidential offices, the trio of good friends engaged in a wide-ranging conversation that touched on what inspired them to pursue college presidencies — hint: their parents’ support and the mentors they found at Haverford had a lot to do with it — the role the College has continued to play in their lives, and the importance of higher education in today’s world.

“I think colleges and universities are magical places, vital places,” says Jenkins. “They are anchor institutions for communities and critical to society and democracy. They may not be perfect — no place is — but they're important, inspiring places that make an enormous difference in the world.”

All three presidents reflected on Haverford’s values and how Willie-LeBreton and Jenkins have found their colleges to align with them. In many ways, the similarities are striking. Referring to a remark he heard from the daughter of an alun, Jenkins referred to Bates as “the Haverford of New England,” while Willie-LeBreton noted that, at first glance, Smith, a women’s college, might seem to have more in common with Bryn Mawr. On closer inspection, however, she says that her college’s emphasis on free expression, critical inquiry, and educating students for a life of purpose is a throughline that courses through Haverford, Smith, and Bates.

“That piece of purpose is really important on all three of our campuses, and we don’t see our missions as educating our students for the sake of them getting ahead as individuals,” Willie-LeBreton says. “A combination of the seriousness of purpose and bright students, many of whom are passionate about a lot of things, are all part of the similarities on our campuses.”

Both point to formative experiences at Haverford as exerting a tangible and enduring influence on their lives and work. Wille LeBreton recalls sharing a sermon she had given at the church where she grew up with her advisor, Professor of Sociology Mark Gould. In it, she commented on her experience taking a semester away from Haverford at Spelman College.

“Afterward, he said to me, ‘You know, this sermon is some of the best sociology that you’ve ever written,” she says. “What he communicated was that I shouldn't be trying to write like Max Weber, I should be trying to write in my own voice. There was something that I had to offer in my own voice that was more important than trying to mimic the voices of others.”

For Jenkins, attending Haverford and, later, his 14 years of service on the Board of Managers encouraged him to pursue a college presidency, an opportunity he began dreaming of in 1993.

“When I think of the Haverford experience in general, particularly compared to the other educational experiences I had as a student, Haverford was the model to feel like you were fully engaging in the community and setting the future for the institution. Ultimately, that was really empowering,” Jenkins says.

Willie-LeBreton and Jenkins’ journey to their current roles was chronicled in the fall issue of Haverford magazine. Read more in the online edition or watch the recording of Founders Porch.