Robert Allen Oden Jr. (; born September 11, 1946) was the president of

Kenyon College Kenyon College is a private liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio. It was founded in 1824 by Philander Chase. Kenyon College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Kenyon has 1,708 undergraduates enrolled. Its 1,000-acre campus is s ...

from 1995 to 2002, and president of

Carleton College Carleton College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota. Founded in 1866, it had 2,105 undergraduate students and 269 faculty members in fall 2016. The 200-acre main campus is between Northfield and the 800-acre Cowlin ...

from 2002 to 2010. He was also a significant professor in the early years of The Teaching Company, contributing several courses—''God and Mankind: Comparative Religions'', ''The Christian Religions and Religious Fundamentalism'', and ''The Old Testament: An Introduction (2nd Edition)''—as well as recruiting professors for the series ''Great World Religions (1st Edition)''.

Biography

Oden was born in Vermillion,

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who comprise a large po ...

. He graduated ''

magna cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sou ...

'' and

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal ...

from

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 highe ...

. He then earned a second bachelor's degree and a master's from

Cambridge University , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

(where he was a

Marshall Scholar The Marshall Scholarship is a postgraduate scholarship for "intellectually distinguished young Americans ndtheir country's future leaders" to study at any university in the United Kingdom. It is widely considered one of the most prestigious ...

) and a master's in

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing th ...

and a Ph.D. in near Eastern languages and literatures from Harvard. He served on the faculty of

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native ...

as a professor of religion from 1972 to 1989, where he was the first recipient of Dartmouth's Distinguished Teaching Prize. Oden then served in administrative positions, first as headmaster of The Hotchkiss School in

Lakeville Lakeville may refer to: Canada *Wilmot Parish, New Brunswick#Lakeville, Lakeville, a local service district north of Woodstock, New Brunswick **Lakeville, Carleton County, New Brunswick, a community within the local service district *Lakeville, Wes ...

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the ...

from 1989 to 1995, and afterwards as president of

from 1995 to 2002, when he accepted the presidency at

. While president he held a faculty appointment in the religion department at Carleton, and regularly taught a fly-fishing course at the college. He said of his decision to come to Carleton, referring to his childhood just across the border from

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...

: "Perhaps all Americans have come to know parts of this great country in which we feel special comfort and a sense of being at home; it is this that has meant for e and my wifeCarleton College's special appeal." Oden is a longtime recreational runner who enjoys the trails of Northfield's Cowling Arboretum, and is also an avid fly-fisherman.

References

External links

Biography of Carleton's current president at Carleton.edu

News story about Oden leaving Kenyon College
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oden, Robert A. Dartmouth College faculty Living people 1946 births Presidents of Carleton College Presidents of Kenyon College People from Vermillion, South Dakota Harvard University alumni Marshall Scholars