This page contains an overview, FAQs, and resources relating to the Special Committee’s review of concerns raised regarding the personal conduct of former College President Howard Lowry. The Special Committee was appointed by the Chair of The College of Wooster’s Board of Trustees April 14, 2021.

Read the latest update from the Board of Trustees

Official Updates from the Board of Trustees and Special Committee:

FAQs

Can you tell us how long you have known about these particular concerns and how you learned of them?

New  information came to light in response to the College’s announcement in early March of the donor’s intention to keep the Lowry name on the student center after the completion of a major renovation. These details were included in an article in Wooster’s student newspaper, The Wooster Voice. The College continues to be in conversation with the parties and our approach has, in many ways,  been guided by their wishes.

How were the members of the Special Committee selected?

The Special Committee was appointed by then Board Chair Don Frederico in April 2021. When deciding the composition of the Special Committee, the Board considered a cross-section of gender, age, expertise to ensure a variety of perspectives and life experiences were reflected.

Who are the members of the Special Committee?
  • Jamie Christensen ’96
  • Mark Goodman ’90
  • John Hemann ’88, Chair
  • Sally Staley ’78
  • Anne Wilson ’73
What was the scope of the Special Committee?

The Special Committee was asked to:

  • Review and assess the concerns that have been raised by members of the Wooster community regarding the conduct of Howard Lowry during the time he served as President of The College of Wooster.
  • Develop and formulate recommendations to the Board of Trustees regarding places where President Lowry’s leadership has been honored at the College, including Lowry Center, as well as a named professorships, scholarships, and prizes.
    • Note that it is the board’s policy that programs and activities are named by the donor’s whose gifts make them possible. The role of the Special Committee was to recommend to the board whether the actions of Dr. Lowry require us to remove the name that the donors selected in his honor. 
How often did the Special Committee meet?

The Special Committee met 19 times for over 60 hours during the course of six months.

How did the Special Committee approach their work?

The Special Committee maintained the following principles throughout their review process:

  • A commitment to due process, including fact-based findings and standards-based conclusions.  Facts matter and appropriate conclusions can only be reached after applying verifiable facts to appropriate, neutral standards. Subjective or result-oriented decision making is anathema to due process.
  • A belief in the critical importance of equity, including gender equity, and acknowledge the biases and power dynamics which have negatively impacted people on campus—both across our history and today. We condemn behavior by members of our campus community, especially those in positions of power, that are found to be unwelcome, inappropriate, or discriminatory. 
  • A committment to a campus environment for current and future students that is equitable and free of discrimination. We recommend to the Board further and continued investment in programs and staffing to advance gender equity and to prevent acts of bias, discrimination and harassment.
  • In reviewing the past behavior of leaders of our campus community, we were called to acknowledge their full impact.
Can you share the details of your review process?
  • The Board of Trustees announced to the Wooster community April 12, 2021 that they were moving forward with an inquiry into concerns raised by alumni regarding the alleged behavior of Dr. Lowry while he was President of The College of Wooster.
  • A dedicated email account and voicemail were set up for members of the Wooster community to share information, thoughts, and feedback with the group of trustees overseeing the matter. Input was invited from all students, staff, faculty and alumni. 
  • A Special Committee was formed on April 14.
  • We retained an independent law firm with extensive experience in addressing matters of gender bias and sexual harassment, BakerHostetler, to help us look into the matters that have been raised, to help us achieve a better understanding of the scope of what took place while preserving the privacy of those who may wish to speak in confidence. They helped the Special Committee by:
    • Interviewing individuals with negative experiences as well as additional individuals that those who brought forward concerns suggested.
    • Encouraging development of information without bias, and
    • Maintaining a data room.
  • We reviewed documents and resources, including:
    • Published information regarding Dr. Lowry
    • Over 2,000 pages of information contained in the College archives
    • Special Committee members reviewed information regarding Board fiduciary duties and college and university renaming standards and protocols, including the Principles and Procedures for Renaming Buildings and Other Features at Stanford University. The committee considered this document to be a best practice framework to inform their process, and relied on a set of neutral factors to guide discussions as articulated by Stanford University. 
  • We conducted Interviews:
    • Committee members and BakerHostetler spoke to approximately 50 individuals with personal experience with Dr. Lowry or direct contact with people who had personal experiences. 
  • We considered input from interested individuals/experts:
    • Over 515 contributions by members of the Wooster Community to the email and telephone resources provided for this purpose
    • Myriad additional inputs directed to the Administration, the Special Committee, and BakerHostetler
    • Met with Scot Council at end of Spring 2021 semester
  • Special Committee meetings
    • Special Committee met together 19 times beginning on April 16, 2021, for a total of over 60 hours, and individual members of the Committee met separately on numerous occasions.
    • We consulted subject experts in Title IX as well as naming policy experts.
Can you summarize your findings?
  • The Special Committee found evidence that Dr. Lowry pursued relationships with several women within a few years of their graduation from the College, and suggested employment at the College to some of them. He did not suggest that participating in a romantic relationship with him was a condition of employment. 
  • Among the alumni the Special Committee heard from, there were a wide range of reactions.  Some found Dr. Lowry’s attention flattering or positive, while others found it unwelcome. A few reported that it affected them or others negatively. 
  • Alumnae reported that when Dr. Lowry was made aware that his romantic advances were unwelcome, he ended them. No alumnae reported that Dr. Lowry continued to pursue romantic relationships with them after being told to stop. 
  • Dr. Lowry’s conduct did not fit the definition of sexual harassment in the 1960s or today.
Who did the Special Committee meet with prior to the board’s decision?

Board members met with Scot Council in April of 2021. In addition, the Special Committee reviewed its findings with members of Scot Council on Monday, August 30, and faculty representatives from the Committee on Conference with Trustees on Tuesday, August 31, and sought their input. The Special Committee also met with the full Board of Trustees.

What questions/concerns were raised as part of those conversations?

Our conversations with the campus community were focused on sharing the facts that the Special Committee and our partner, BakerHostetler, were able to uncover as part of the review. We discussed the Committee’s process, the findings, and the relevant background on Dr. Lowry, and the significant limitations faced in collecting and fairly reviewing evidence related to events that took place over 50 years ago.  

After sharing that information, we sought input from these students and faculty leaders on what should happen with the name. Across the input we received from students, faculty, and alumni of the College, a wide range of opinions were expressed about what we should do and how we should decide.  Some felt that it was clear that Dr. Lowry’s name should continue to be on the building, as the donor had chosen to honor him. Others felt that it was clear Dr. Lowry’s name should be removed by the Board.  

When did you bring findings to the Board of Trustees?

We had multiple meetings with the Board in August and September.

Does the College have a naming policy? How does this situation relate to the naming?

Yes, The College of Wooster has an official Gift Acceptance Policy, which was revised and adopted by the Board of Trustees in October 2019. The Special Committee specifically referenced Addendum A, Section E (page 16) of the policy when considering its next steps.

E. REMOVAL OF NAME In the event of unusual or compelling circumstance, the College reserves the right to withdraw a name from a facility, space, program, fund, professorship, or other similarly named College priority. Examples of such circumstances include, but are not limited to the following:

  • The College reasonably believes that the continued use of the name constitutes a significant and continuing challenge to the College’s reputation, or 
  • The College reasonably believes that the naming partner is deemed to have deviated from the mission and values of the College, or 
  • A donor has failed to meet pledge commitments over a minimum of one half of the agreed pledge period and where there is no satisfactory commitment to revised pledge terms. 

In these circumstances, the donor’s name will be removed from the College public donor recognition for that project, including signage where applicable.

About President Howard Lowry

About Former President Howard Lowry

Howard LowryDr. Howard Foster Lowry became the seventh president of The College of Wooster in 1944, a role he held for 23 years until his untimely passing in 1967.

Lowry is probably best known for bringing Independent Study (I.S.) to Wooster. I.S. was launched in 1945, and in 1950, became mandatory for all members of the graduating class, “because every member of the student body is included in the best academic invitation the College has to give,” according to Lowry. He summarized the I.S. program’s challenge by saying, “It invites all students to come to their best in terms of their own talents.”

He was dedicated to growing Wooster’s diversity and international representation on campus. In 1963, he helped with the formation of Wooster’s NAACP chapter on campus.

Wooster launched its varsity women’s basketball and field hockey teams in 1965.

During his tenure, the College constructed 15 new buildings, including: Andrews Library which opened in 1962, Andrews Hall (1954), Compton Hall (1955), Wagner Hall (1957), Wooster Inn (1959), Service Building (1960), Holden Addition (1961), Westminster Church House (1965), Armington Hall (1966), Bissman Hall (1966), Stevenson Hall (1966), Wishart (1966), Kittredge Hall (1966), and the renovation of five more.

Prior to becoming president, he was a professor of English literature at Princeton and professor and head of the English department at Wooster.

Lowry received his B.A. from Wooster and a Ph.D. from Yale University. In addition, he was awarded honorary degrees by 16 colleges and universities.

Resources

Contact Information

inquiry@wooster.edu
330-263-2111 (dedicated voicemail)