Looking for Daylight

Can or will a university/college president bring to the office an educational philosophy developed during turbulent times, or must he start afresh in a demanding, controversial position? Arthur DeRosier faced leadership choices during three college presidencies covering a quarter of a century. He brought to those presidencies a youth that spanned the Depression and World War II, experiences gained through four years in the U.S. Air Force including the Korean Conflict, college education in Mississippi and South Carolina, and history professorships, and administrative skills gained over 21 years (1956-77) at six institutions of higher learning in four states. In "Looking For Daylight," DeRosier explores the belief system he brought to the president's office, the problems encountered along a 25 year journey at three different colleges that required academic skills and patience to develop a graduate program at a regional university, and, then, to play a leadership role in saving two fine private liberal arts colleges from extinction. In so doing, the author examines the role past experiences and an ever-evolving academic philosophy played in avoiding the death of two colleges, while diversifying institutional beliefs and activities in the ever-changing and always challenging world of higher education.