Peter William Stanley (born 1940) is an American historian and academic administrator who served as the eighth president of

Pomona College Pomona College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Claremont, California. It was established in 1887 by a group of Congregationalists who wanted to recreate a "college of the New England type" in Southern California. In 1925, it became t ...

. A scholar of Asian studies, his tenure at Pomona coincided with a substantial increase in the college's endowment and prestige.

Education and career

Stanley earned his BA and doctorate degrees at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

. He was a Frank Knox Memorial Fellow at Jesus College,

Cambridge University The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III of England, Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world' ...

. He subsequently taught Asian history at the

University of Illinois The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the Univer ...

and Harvard, and served as the chief academic officer at Carleton College for a year. From 1979 to 1987, he directed the education and culture program at the

Ford Foundation The Ford Foundation is an American private foundation with the stated goal of advancing human welfare. Created in 1936 by Edsel Ford and his father Henry Ford, it was originally funded by a US$25,000 gift from Edsel Ford. By 1947, after the death ...

. Stanley became president of

in 1991. During his tenure, he oversaw a number of construction projects, including most prominently the Smith Campus Center (1999), that modernized the college's facilities while restoring elements of

Myron Hunt Myron Hubbard Hunt (February 27, 1868 – May 26, 1952) was an American architect whose numerous projects include many noted landmarks in Southern California and Evanston, Illinois. Hunt was elected a Fellow in the American Institute of Archi ...

's master plan that had degraded over time. He also led the extremely successful Campaign for Pomona College from 1997 to 2002, which ultimately raised over $206 million, far exceeding its goal. Pomona's endowment increased from $364 million to $1.1. billion over the course of his presidency. After Pomona, he became vice president of the

executive search Executive search (informally called headhunting) is a specialized recruitment service which organizations pay to seek out and recruit highly qualified candidates for senior-level and executive jobs across the public and private sectors, as well a ...

firm

Isaacson Isaacson is a surname meaning "son of Isaac", the Biblical figure. People with the surname Isaacson include: * Doug Isaacson (born 1957), American politician * Jacob Isaacson (1911–1980), American composer and musician * James Isaacson (born ...

Personal life

Stanley married Mary-Jane Cosgrove in 1978, and had one daughter, Laura. After retiring from Pomona, Stanley moved with his wife to

Old Saybrook, Connecticut Old Saybrook is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 10,481 at the 2020 census. It contains the incorporated borough of Fenwick, as well as the census-designated places of Old Saybrook Center and Saybroo ...

; she died in January 2020 after 42 years of marriage.

Legacy

The Peter W. Stanley Academic Quadrangle at Pomona is named in his honor. The college also awarded him an honorary degree at its 2008 commencement ceremony.

Publications

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stanley, Peter William

Stanley Stanley may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Stanley'' (1972 film), an American horror film * ''Stanley'' (1984 film), an Australian comedy * ''Stanley'' (1999 film), an animated short * ''Stanley'' (1956 TV series) ...

1940 births Harvard University alumni Living people Alumni of the University of Cambridge American expatriates in the United Kingdom Place of birth missing (living people)