The inauguration of Philip C. Williams as the University of Montevallo&8217;s 14th president will highlight the school&8217;s 110th Founders&8217; Day tomorrow.

The ceremony will be presided over by Montevallo alumnus George M. Walker, chairman of the university&8217;s board of trustees.

The Founders&8217; Day program will begin at 10 a.m. in the McChesney Student Activity Center and will include a procession of delegates from other universities and colleges as well as Montevallo&8217;s faculty.

Greetings to the president will be given on behalf of the board of trustees, the faculty and staff, the student body, alumni, and friends and family.

Williams will give the inaugural address after he is sworn in as president, even though he officially started Aug. 1 after Robert McChesney retired.

Biography

Williams earned his bachelor of arts degree with honors in history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

He later earned his law degree at the Columbia University School of Law in New York City. During the course of his legal profession, he practiced corporate law and served as administrative vice president and counsel for Sea World, Inc.

From 1987 through 1991, he wrote a series of adult murder mysteries, then collaborated with his wife, Sandra, on a series of six children&8217;s mysteries. While practicing law as a solo practitioner, he wrote a legal guidebook for the American Bar Association, focusing on the practice of law in small towns.

In 1994, he returned to Chapel Hill to earn his Ph.D. in health policy and administration. He served for one year as a post-doctoral research fellow at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, and then accepted a position at Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, N.C., where he last served as assistant vice president for academic affairs. He joined the staff of Methodist College in Fayetteville, N.C., in July of 2003 as vice president for academic affairs and dean of the College.

Preparation

Williams says his 17 years of experience in law and the corporate world provided him with skills that will be handy as president. His Ph.D. work focused on health-policy and hospital management, fields he said are very similar to higher education.

&8220;In both areas you are working with highly specialized specialists. Whether they be surgeons or faculty,&8221; said Williams. &8220;Managing people with a high level of education can be demanding.&8221;

However, Williams says there are obvious differences from running a for-profit business and a liberal arts university.

&8220;The difference is that we are not producing a tangible product for sale,&8221; he said. &8220;It is difficult to describe the benefits of a liberal arts education and how it is priceless.&8221;

While Williams says he doesn&8217;t have a &8220;100-day plan&8221; or any plan to make drastic changes, he said, &8220;It is highly unlikely that I would embark on any highly new plan immediately.&8221; He says it would be the 2007-2008 academic year before he could properly assess UM&8217;s strengths and weaknesses.

&8220;Big picture strategies require that time frame,&8221; said Williams. He added, &8220;This University has been so well managed that new visions and new foundations are like standing on a solid foundation asking which floor to build next.&8221;

However, Williams says that does not mean he will not have fresh ideas or make any changes.

&8220;My first responsibility is to guard Montevallo&8217;s traditions and heritage,&8221; he said. &8220;But we definitely need to continue our upward trend.&8221;

Williams says he will focus on faculty and staff salaries and well as physical improvements to residence halls, the No. 1 complaint he heard from students during his initial visits last winter.

Dr. Williams resides in Montevallo with his wife, Sandra, his son, Grant, and his precocious Chihuahua, Zorro.

&8216;Busy Week&8217;

A UM inauguration committee planned a variety of events to commemorate Inaugural Week on campus. Remaining activities open to the public free of charge are listed below:

–Thursday, Oct. 12–

10 a.m. – Noon, Inauguration Convocation, McChesney Student Activity Center

3-4:30 p.m., Presidential Reception, Main Foyer, Reynolds Hall

4:30-6 p.m., Faculty Art Exhibition and Opening Reception, (Installation Ongoing), The Gallery at Bloch Hall

7-9:30 p.m., Ninth Annual Life Raft Debate, McChesney Student Activity Center

–Friday, Oct. 13–

Noon – 7 p.m., UM Baseball doubleheader – Montevallo&8217;s Falcons vs. the Trojans of Central Alabama Community College, Kermit Johnson Baseball Field

3 p.m., Coca-Cola Volleyball Tournament, Lady Falcons vs. Augusta State University, McChesney Student Activity Center

–Saturday, Oct. 14–

10 a.m.-3 p.m., Family Day, McChesney Student Activity Center Lawn

Noon, Coca-Cola Volleyball Tournament, Lady Falcons vs. Lincoln Memorial University, McChesney Student Activity Center

2 p.m., Coca-Cola Volleyball Tournament, Lady Falcons vs. Fort Valley State University, McChesney Student Activity Center

3-5 p.m., Community Swim, McChesney Student Activity Cente