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Stephen Charles Ainlay is a former president of
Union College Union College is a private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the state of New York, after Columbia Co ...
. He became the 18th president of the institution in June 2006, succeeding interim president James Underwood, who succeeded Roger Hull after Hull retired in June 2005."Stephen C. Ainlay named 18th president of Union College" Oct. 25, 200
Union College news release
/ref> He was succeeded by David R. Harris on July 1, 2018.


Biography

Born in 1951 in
Goshen, Indiana Goshen ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Elkhart County, Indiana, United States. It is the smaller of the two principal cities of the Elkhart-Goshen Metropolitan Statistical Area, which in turn is part of the South Bend-Elkhart-Mishawaka ...
, Ainlay earned his bachelor's degree in sociology from
Goshen College Goshen College is a Private college, private Mennonite Church USA, Mennonite Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Goshen, Indiana. It was founded in 1894 as the Elkhart Institute of Science, Industry and the Arts, ...
, and both his master's and Ph.D. from
Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's ...
in 1981, with a thesis on "Intentionality, identity and aging: an inquiry into aging and adventitious vision loss". WorldCat
/ref> In 1982, he became assistant professor of sociology at the
College of the Holy Cross The College of the Holy Cross is a private, Jesuit liberal arts college in Worcester, Massachusetts, about 40 miles (64 km) west of Boston. Founded in 1843, Holy Cross is the oldest Catholic college in New England and one of the oldest ...
, in
Worcester, Massachusetts Worcester ( , ) is a city and county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, the city's population was 206,518 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the second-List of cities i ...
. He became associate professor in 1987, and professor in 1993. He was appointed Director of the Center for Interdisciplinary and Special Studies in 1993, dean of the college in 1996, and finally vice-president for academic affairs in 1997. He served in this capacity until assuming the presidency at Union College. Ainlay became president of
Union College Union College is a private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the state of New York, after Columbia Co ...
on July 1, 2006. He also served as the chancellor of
Union University Union University is a private Baptist Christian university in Jackson, Tennessee, with additional campuses in Germantown and Hendersonville. The university is affiliated with the Tennessee Baptist Convention (Southern Baptist Convention). It is ...
, whose member institutions include the
Albany Law School Albany Law School is a private law school in Albany, New York. It was founded in 1851 and is the oldest independent law school in the nation. It is accredited by the American Bar Association and has an affiliation agreement with University at A ...
,
Albany Medical College Albany Medical College (AMC) is a private medical school in Albany, New York. It was founded in 1839 by Alden March and James H. Armsby and is one of the oldest medical schools in the nation. The college is part of the Albany Medical Center, which ...
, Albany College of Pharmacy, Union Graduate College and the Dudley Observatory. He holds a faculty position as professor of sociology at Union. Ainlay served on the board of the Commission of Independent Colleges and Universities (CICU). Ainlay joined with five other college presidents and, with the help of the Andrew Mellon Foundation, created the New York Six Consortium. The New York Six facilitates collaborative efforts between
Colgate University Colgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York. The college was founded in 1819 as the Baptist Education Society of the State of New York and operated under that name until 1823, when it was renamed Hamilton Theologi ...
,
Hamilton College Hamilton College is a private liberal arts college in Clinton, Oneida County, New York. It was founded as Hamilton-Oneida Academy in 1793 and was chartered as Hamilton College in 1812 in honor of inaugural trustee Alexander Hamilton, following ...
,
Hobart and William Smith College Hobart and William Smith Colleges are Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts colleges in Geneva, New York. They trace their origins to Geneva Academy established in 1797. Students can choose from 45 maj ...
,
Skidmore College Skidmore College is a private liberal arts college in Saratoga Springs, New York. Approximately 2,650 students are enrolled at Skidmore pursuing a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree in one of more than 60 areas of study. History Sk ...
, and Union College. In 2007, Ainlay was appointed by Governor
Eliot Spitzer Eliot Laurence Spitzer (born June 10, 1959) is an American politician and attorney. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he was the 54th governor of New York from 2007 until his resignation in 2008. Spitzer was b ...
to the Commission on the Future of Higher Education in New York. Ainlay also serves on the Board of Trustees of
Loyola University Maryland Loyola University Maryland is a private Jesuit university in Baltimore, Maryland. Established as Loyola College in Maryland by John Early and eight other members of the Society of Jesus in 1852, it is the ninth-oldest Jesuit college in the ...
. Ainlay's sociological research projects have focused on investigations of blindness, aging, spirituality and various aspects of Mennonite life, all aimed at better understanding the ways in which people find meaning in their lives. Ainlay is married to Judith Gardner Ainlay. They have two sons and two grandsons.


Publications

* (with Calvin Wall Redekop & Robert Siemens) ''Mennonite entrepreneurs'' Baltimore : Johns Hopkins University Press, 1995 ISBN. According to WorldCat, the book is held in 349 libraries WorldCat
/ref> **Review by Donald F Durnbaugh, ''Church History'', v66 n2 (Jun., 1997): 421-423 **Review by Theron F Schlabach, ''The Journal of American History,'' v83 n1 (Jun., 1996): 293-294 **Review, by
Royden Loewen Royden Loewen (born 26 October 1954 in Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada) is a retired Canadian History Professor and Chair in Mennonite Studies at the University of Winnipeg. As a prominent historian in the field of Mennonite history, his book about the ...
, ''The Mennonite quarterly review.'' 71, no. 3, (1997): 453 **Review, by Peter C Blum, ''The American journal of sociology.'' 102, no. 1, (1996): 310 * (co-ed with Gaylene Becker & Lerita M Coleman) ''The Dilemma of difference : a multidisciplinary view of stigma'' New York: Plenum, 1986 **Review by Harold E Yuker ''American Scientist'' v75 n6 (November–December 1987): 644-645 *(ed. with
James Davison Hunter James Davison Hunter (born 1955) is an American sociologist and originator of the term "Culture Wars" in his 1991 book Culture Wars: The Struggle to Define America. Hunter is the LaBrosse-Levinson Distinguished Professor of Religion, Culture, and ...
) ''Making sense of modern times'' New York: Routledge, 1986 **Review, by Richard Perkins ''Review of Religious Research,'' v29 n3 (Mar., 1988): 338-339 **Review, by Robert W Friedrichs, '' Contemporary Sociology,'' v17 n1 (Jan., 1988): 114-115 *''Day brought back my night : aging and new vision loss'' New York: Routledge, 1989 **Review by Corinne Kirchner, '' Contemporary Sociology,'' v20 n1 (Jan., 1991): 121


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ainlay, Stephen College of the Holy Cross faculty Goshen College alumni Living people Rutgers University alumni Presidents of Union College (New York) 1951 births