Bottoms appointed interim president of Illinois seminary
President Emeritus will complete final semester as Prindle Institute's director before leaving for Seabury
By: Andrew Maddocks
Issue date: 11/20/09 Section: News
As recently as last week, former President Robert Bottoms was planning to retire next May and move with his wife Gwendolyn to Florida.
On Monday, he decided to work for one more year. But he won't be working for DePauw.
Bottoms has accepted a position as interim dean and president of Seabury-Western Theological Seminary. He will keep his regular duties as Director of the Prindle Institute for Ethics through the spring semester. He was DePauw's president for 22 years before retiring in 2008.
Bottoms will work at Seabury - an Episcopal seminary located in Evanston, Ill. - on a "very part time" basis starting Jan. 1 next year, he said. He'll spend much of Winter Term at Seabury and then return to his full-time duties at Prindle once the semester begins.
Once Bottoms retires from DePauw in May 2010, he'll move to Evanston to take on full-time duties at Seabury until June 30, 2011, by which time a permanent president will be selected.
"I've been trying to convince her (Gwen) how nice it is in Chicago in the wintertime," Bottoms said.
The previous president of Seabury, Gary Hall, resigned unexpectedly last week to take on a rector position, Bottoms said. The executive committee met last Friday to discuss an interim replacement and asked Bottoms to take the position Monday.
"He has an extraordinary blend of administrative and religious skills and experience that is perfect for leading a seminary," said Seabury communications director Rebecca Wilson.
Bottoms has been chair of the board of trustees at Seabury for one year and a member of the board for 7 1/2 years.
For over 30 years, Bottoms said, he and his wife Gwendolyn have been very active in the Episcopalian community and in theological education. Bottoms was assistant dean at Vanderbilt University Divinity School before he became president of DePauw.
Bottoms told President Brian Casey about the new position earlier this week. Casey said he will discuss transition plans for the Prindle Institute with Bottoms to ensure the institute's continued progress.
"This seems like something that's meaningful for him and could really draw on his experience and his energies and what he wants to be doing now," Casey said. "It just seems like a very nice next chapter for him and his wife."
- Matt Welch contributed to this story.
On Monday, he decided to work for one more year. But he won't be working for DePauw.
Bottoms has accepted a position as interim dean and president of Seabury-Western Theological Seminary. He will keep his regular duties as Director of the Prindle Institute for Ethics through the spring semester. He was DePauw's president for 22 years before retiring in 2008.
Bottoms will work at Seabury - an Episcopal seminary located in Evanston, Ill. - on a "very part time" basis starting Jan. 1 next year, he said. He'll spend much of Winter Term at Seabury and then return to his full-time duties at Prindle once the semester begins.
Once Bottoms retires from DePauw in May 2010, he'll move to Evanston to take on full-time duties at Seabury until June 30, 2011, by which time a permanent president will be selected.
"I've been trying to convince her (Gwen) how nice it is in Chicago in the wintertime," Bottoms said.
The previous president of Seabury, Gary Hall, resigned unexpectedly last week to take on a rector position, Bottoms said. The executive committee met last Friday to discuss an interim replacement and asked Bottoms to take the position Monday.
"He has an extraordinary blend of administrative and religious skills and experience that is perfect for leading a seminary," said Seabury communications director Rebecca Wilson.
Bottoms has been chair of the board of trustees at Seabury for one year and a member of the board for 7 1/2 years.
For over 30 years, Bottoms said, he and his wife Gwendolyn have been very active in the Episcopalian community and in theological education. Bottoms was assistant dean at Vanderbilt University Divinity School before he became president of DePauw.
Bottoms told President Brian Casey about the new position earlier this week. Casey said he will discuss transition plans for the Prindle Institute with Bottoms to ensure the institute's continued progress.
"This seems like something that's meaningful for him and could really draw on his experience and his energies and what he wants to be doing now," Casey said. "It just seems like a very nice next chapter for him and his wife."
- Matt Welch contributed to this story.
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