Luther College president candidate withdraws name
The Presidential Search Committee, appointed by the Luther College Board of Regents, ran into a snag in the presidential search process when one of the final two candidates withdrew his name in response to concerns raised by faculty and students. Dr. Mark Hagerott appeared to be the top contender to replace Richard Torgerson when he announced his withdrawal.
Hagerott currently serves as military professor and senior military officer of history at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Hagerott is a member of a Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod congregation, and Luther is one of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s 26 colleges.
The college Regents had chosen to put forward only one name — Hagerott’s — but asked the search committee to complete the interview process. It was during this interim that Hagerott chose to no longer be considered, after hearing of some concerns about his candidacy.
Student Noah Lange wrote in an opinion article on the Luther College Chips, the college newspaper, website: “I’m uncomfortable with Luther having a president who is not allowed, by the strictures of his religion, to commune with the students and faculty. Who identifies with a religious tradition that refuses to ordain women, and believes that men should always be in positions of authority over women.”
Tags: Dr. Mark Hagerott, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Luther College Board of Regents, Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, Mark Hagerott, Noah Lange, Presidential Search Committee, Richard Torgerson, Rob Larson, theological affiliation, tolerance