Fry reflects on time at F&M

As the academic year draws to a close, graduating seniors are not the only ones preparing to leave F&M and looking back at their years at the College.

 John Fry, president of the College, will leave F&M to assume the presidency of Drexel University on July 1; he took time to reflect on the past eight years in an interview with The College Reporter.

F&M is an institution of higher learning,  and not even Fry could get away without a few lessons.

“I’ve learned a ton,” he said. “I’ve learned that when a community puts its mind to doing something and is unified in its goals and is determined in its pursuit of those goals, it can change anything.”

Those presently at the College have been here at most four years, making it easy to take for granted the initiatives F&M has undertaken over the past eight years. Distler House was renovated to house the bookstore and Jazzman’s Café in 2004, College Row opened in 2007, the F&M in Paris program launched in 2006, the Poggia Colla Field School program in Tuscany began in 2003, and the F&M College Poll took off in 2004. 

Of all the initiatives—of which there are many more—Fry believes one will be most important to the College’s future.

“The College House System addressed so many issues the College was wrestling with,” Fry said. “It is still a work in progress but it has had a great trajectory so far. I didn’t expect it to happen so quickly and for it to have so much success.”

Physical changes have not been the only ones F&M has undergone during Fry’s tenure.

“F&M is much less risk-averse now,” Fry noted. “Before, everyone was worried: ‘What if we try something and fail?’ I don’t see that as much any more.”

Attitudes of those within the College community have evolved, as well.

“I feel like there’s a nice quiet pride and confidence that has grown over the years,” Fry said. “Before there were a lot of comparisons being made to other institutions—‘Why can’t we be as good as they are? Why aren’t we ranked as high? Why aren’t we as well-known?’—and I don’t hear those comparisons as much. People really focus on the College being a better version of itself as opposed to another type of college.”

Some of the biggest changes of the past eight years have even taken place outside of the campus itself. Fry noted how the revitalization of the surrounding community has changed people’s perceptions of it.

“I think we’re much more community-aware in terms of Lancaster,” he said. “Lancaster was not really talked about or focused on except to wring hands and say, ‘Why can’t Lancaster be more like X,’ but now, because of what’s happened in Lancaster—and the fact that we’ve had something to do with it—it’s been a source of pride and real energy. People are realizing the incredible assets we have here in our hometown and using them.”

In fact, one thing Fry hopes F&M will take forward even without him at the helm is the integration of the College with neighboring institutions and neighborhoods throughout the city.

  “I’m really proud of F&M’s relationship with Lancaster General Hospital, the James Street Improvement District, and the revitalization of Lancaster and I think those are very long-term pieces of work that never end,” Fry said. “They require constant work, attention, and nurturing, and I hope that is taken up by the next president as vigorously.”

F&M is a founding partner of the James Street Improvement District (JSID), the goal of which is to build safe, clean neighborhoods in the northwest and downtown sectors of Lancaster. Part of the project is a district-run squad that patrols the area on bicycle.

As a result, the area is much safer than it once was, according to Fry, who cited instances in which students were the victims of crime as the most difficult parts of his presidency.

“A number of years ago, things were a lot different in the neighborhood in terms of crime, and students were taken advantage of,” he said. 

Any case in which students were hurt or in danger was the most challenging for Fry, with the death of Phil Rehders ’08 being the worst instance of all.

“Anything to do with my students getting hurt … I take it personally,” he said. “It makes me upset to hear about people taken to the hospital for alcohol consumption. I’m like a nervous father in some ways. The rest was easy compared to those moments.”

Although Fry departs with many projects completed (such as the construction of the Barshinger Life Sciences & Philosophy Building; the Harris Center for Business, Government, and Public Policy; the Ware, Bonchek, and Brooks College House Commons; the International House; the Writers House; and the Klehr Center for Jewish Life), he leaves with some in progress.

One he particularly wishes he would be at F&M for is the completion of the Norfolk-Southern rail yard project, which will relocate the rail yard currently to the north of campus (behind College Row) and connect the north and south parts of Lancaster.

“I’d have loved to cut the ribbon on the opening of the College Ave. connection to Liberty Street and see the Norfolk-Southern project fully completed and done,” Fry said. “No doubt, Keith Orris [’81, vice president for administrative services and business, government, and community relations] will lead the project all the way and it will happen, but it would have been a great moment to be a part of.”

Fry also expressed regret he would not be at the College for the naming of the fifth College House, which is currently under construction, and for the construction of a sixth College House, which Fry believes will be necessary to the maturation of the College House system. 

“I’m confident these things will happen,” Fry enthused. “I know all these things will be kept as priorities.”

Despite all the progress F&M has made over the past eight years, Fry could not choose a single crowning moment.

“There were just so many good moments constantly, so much joy and excitement and progress, that when I think about F&M, I don’t think about my crowning moment, just a joyous eight year run full of literally hundreds and hundreds of moments.” Fry said. “It was the best experience a college president could have with the best group of people I could work with and for. The whole experience was so uplifting.”

Junior Samantha LiTrenta is the Editor in Chief. Her e-mail is  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .