*It’s taken 184 years, but Oberlin College in Ohio has its first African American president.
Carmen Ambar, the former president of Cedar Crest College in Allentown, Penn., has become the 15th president at Oberlin, succeeding Marvin Krislov who held the position for a decade, reports Cleveland’s News 5. Krislov announced earlier this year that he accepted a new role as president of Pace University in New York City.
Ambar takes her place in black history, besting more than 150 applicants for the job.
Two years after its founding in 1833, Oberlin College began admitting students of all races, becoming the first college in the United States to do so.
A press release from the school says Ambar’s values align closely with Oberlin’s mission.
“Oberlin is a singular institution in American higher education, with an historic commitment to social justice, academic and musical excellence, and the liberal arts,” Ambar said at her introduction event today (May 30). “I look forward to my work with Oberlin’s faculty, staff, students, board, and alumni to think creatively and collaboratively together. I am humbled to be joining this institution and excited about the opportunity to lead it into its next era.”
“I’m incredibly excited to work with Carmen Ambar as Oberlin’s next president,” said Chris Canavan ’84, Chair-Elect of Oberlin’s Board of Trustees. “Her life story, her academic achievements, her devotion to the liberal arts and her love of music make her the very embodiment of Oberlin. Under her leadership, I’m confident that Oberlin can advance with the times without losing sight of who we are.”
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