Philander Smith College President Johnny Moore resigned Thursday - less than two years after he was appointed to the post at the historically black college in downtown Little Rock.
A news release issued by the college on Thursday said that Moore left to “pursue other personal and professional opportunities.”
“While he is no longer president of Philander, Dr. Johnny Moore remains a valued alumnus and much-honored former athlete, with strong ties to our college,” board of trustees Chairman Artee Williams said in the release.
When contacted by telephone Thursday, Williams confirmed that the resignation was effective immediately and Moore was no longer on the campus.
Williams added very little information to the formal release but but gave a simple “No” when asked if there was any warning that Moore was going to resign.
Repeated attempts to reach Moore on Thursday were unsuccessful.
Lloyd Hervey, a professor at the school, has been appointed as interim president. Williams said the board would meet to begin the nationwide search for the college’s 14th president.
“We will let the search committee do what they normally do,” Williams said.
Moore was selected for the post in July of 2012 and was ceremonially inaugurated as the university’s 13th president on May 3. An Arkansas native born in Old Washington, Moore attended Philander Smith College on a basketball scholarship and earned his graduate degree at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro.
Moore moved back to the state from Texas, where he was the executive vice president of student affairs at Tyler Junior College before accepting the president’s post at Philander Smith College.
At the end of January, Moore was on hand at the “topping off ceremony” to see the final beam placed on the school’s new Campus Center - a $5.3 million project.
In a High Profile section story in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette last year, Moore said his plans for the college included expanding the school’s distance learning and study-abroad programs. In that story, the now 47-year old president expressed that his age may work against him in the post.
“I’m not that old,” he said in the profile. “I have experience but this is my first year as president. I’ve been in higher education for 23 years … executive-level for 10 years. I’m not set in my ways [which] I guess is a strength and a weakness at the same time.”
Founded in 1877, Philander Smith College now has more than 500 students enrolled and offers four degrees: bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, bachelor of business administration and bachelor of social work. The private, residential four-year college is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and is accredited by by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education, the Association for Collegiate and Business Schools and Programs and the Council on Social Work Education.
Arkansas, Pages 9 on 02/21/2014