Ayers’ inauguration planned for April 11

President Edward Ayers will begin to outline his vision at inauguration.

The University will inaugurate President Edward Ayers on April 11 in the Robins Center. The entire University community is invited, and the event will be webcast live.

Ayers became Richmond’s ninth president on July 1, and has spent the past eight months listening to all of the University’s constituencies and developing a vision for Richmond’s future. He will begin to outline that vision in his inaugural address.

The keynote speaker for the event will be Dr. Drew Gilpin Faust, who became president of Harvard University on the same day that Ayers became president of Richmond. Both Faust and Ayers are prominent historians of the American South. They, along with Dr. Gary Gallagher, professor of history at the University of Virginia, will kick off the inaugural events on April 10 with a symposium titled “New Perspectives on the American Civil War.”

Other events scheduled for Inauguration Weekend include a post-installation picnic and an evening celebration event on Millhiser Green. The celebration event will coincide with the kickoff of Reunion Weekend and will feature both live music and a special guest D.J.—Ayers himself.

For more information about the inauguration, visit inauguration.richmond.edu.