John Wesley Chandler (1923-)
Williams College President 1973-1985
John Chandler assumed the office of president on July 1, 1973, after serving as president of Hamilton College from 1968 to 1973.
Chandler was born in Mars Hill, N.C. on Sept. 5, 1923. He attended Wake Forest College, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and received his B.A. degree in 1945.
He received his B.D. degree from Duke University in 1952, and earned his Ph.D., also from Duke, in 1954. Chandler was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from 16 colleges and universities including Williams.
Under Chandler's leadership, Williams completed a 10-year transition period in which the college phased out its fraternity system and became a coeducational institution. In 1980 the college successfully completed a $50 million capital campaign, the first of that magnitude to be attempted by a college Williams' size. While Chandler was president, the college completed construction of a new library, built a new art museum, music center and theater and began construction of a major athletic facility. At the same time, the college's endowment grew substantially.
Chandler's teaching career began at Wake Forest in 1948 as an instructor in philosophy. He was named assistant professor in 1954. He came to Williams in 1955 as an assistant professor of religion; from 1960 to 1965 he was associate professor of religion and also chaired the department. In 1968 Chandler was named the Cluett Professor of Religion.
Chandler served as acting provost in 1965-66 and then the college's first dean of the faculty from 1966 to 1968. The curriculum at Williams, with its innovative month-long Winter Study Program dividing two semesters, was proposed by a committee Chandler chaired and was adopted by the faculty in 1966.
In 1969, Chandler was elected a permanent member of the Williams Board of Trustees. He served on a number of college committees, including the one which led to Williams becoming coeducational.
In 1948 Chandler married Florence Gordon. They have three daughters and one son. Allison, born in 1954, graduated from Williams in 1976. John, born in 1957, is a 1980 graduate of Trinity College. Jennifer and Patricia, twins, were born in 1961. Jennifer attended the College of Wooster and Patricia Bates College.
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