Longtime Georgetown College employee steps into presidency: ‘This place deserves loving care’

After more than 38 years at Georgetown College, Rosemary Allen is stepping into the role of president, something she’d never imagined she would do.

In nearly four decades at the college, Allen has been an English professor, department chair and provost.

She became interim president last year after the former president, William Jones, was fired for allegations of sexual assault and inappropriate behavior with female employees. She was named president in January, with an inauguration ceremony held last week.

Allen said she did not expect her career path, which started with a one-year teaching contract, to lead to a presidency.

“This is a labor of love that I’m doing, not because I’m ambitious or because I’m going on to the presidency of Yale some day, because I’m not, but because this place deserves loving care,” Allen said. “It’s a wonderful, wonderful environment. I’ve enjoyed it now for these 38 years. It’s my heart, it’s my home, it’s my community, it’s my congregation. It’s my team. It’s my everything in that way.”

Allen is the first woman to be the president of Georgetown, something she said she doesn’t approach lightly. Before becoming president, she was also the first woman to be the provost at the college.

“I do know how important it is to have strong role models who look like you, and it has been difficult for women for so many years to have that sort of mentorship and role model,” Allen said. “I know that as I was growing up, for instance, I had strong teachers particularly when I was in elementary school and in middle school. But the further I got upward in my educational journey, the fewer and fewer women I would see.”

Early in her career as a professor, Allen said “the expectation was universal that the administration would be male.” Now, Allen said she has heard feedback from female students, employees and community members about how they are excited to see a woman at the head of the college. At a recent event in Scott County, Allen met a Girl Scout Troop. After introducing herself, the girls started asking her about how she became the president.

“That sort of thing really does make a difference, knowing that this is a genuine possibility (for them),” Allen said.

Georgetown College president Rosemary Allen, who is the first woman president of the college. October 3, 2022.
Georgetown College president Rosemary Allen, who is the first woman president of the college. October 3, 2022.

Lawsuit from former president

Last week, the former president filed a lawsuit, saying he had “been defamed, libeled, slandered, placed in false light, and forever damaged in his professional and personal life.” Allen is included in the lawsuit. Jones denied the allegations of sexual assault in the lawsuit and said the university did not properly investigate the claims before firing him.

While Allen said she could not comment on pending litigation, she said that Georgetown has made changes to address sexual assault allegations.

“We have made some changes that are all healthy changes,” Allen said. “Any institution should continue to evolve and change and learn from its past.”

Part of that includes making sure students and employees have the space to voice concerns and complaints if they arise, she said.

“A lot of that does have to do with just listening as much as we can to the needs and to the concerns of our students, our staff and our faculty, all of whom deserve a voice at every moment,” Allen said.

After taking over when Jones was fired, Allen said she is approaching the presidency relying on her past as a faculty member.

“I stepped into a situation where I needed to try to unify and carry forward in an administration that had undergone a sudden transition,” Allen said. “I think that my leadership style, by nature, is much more collaborative than post. That really grows out of my experience as a faculty member, where so much of faculty governance is shared governance ... being able to take that kind of approach over to the executive administration I think has been useful and it’s helped change some of the atmosphere on campus.”

Giddings Hall at Georgetown College, October 3, 2022.
Giddings Hall at Georgetown College, October 3, 2022.

Future of Georgetown

Georgetown College is a private Christian college with over 1,500 students enrolled, according to the college’s website.

“Right now, I believe we are at an inflection point and an historic moment in the Commonwealth, one with great promise and potential for prosperity that will reach across Kentucky. And I think a large part of the mission of Georgetown College is educating students and preparing them to be leaders in Kentucky,” Gov. Andy Beshear said at last week’s inauguration ceremony. “I want to congratulate President Allen on this historic achievement and I look forward to working together.”

Looking to the future of Georgetown College, Allen said she hopes to grow the college’s partnership with the community, and figure out ways they can work together. Allen said she would like to grow the graduate programs at the college to address workforce needs in Scott County, specifically addressing the need for teachers and healthcare workers.

At the end of her tenure, whenever that comes, Allen said she hopes to have built up the sense of community both on campus and off.

“I want people to remember, looking backward, that we came together as a community, grew as a community, and flourished as a community,” Allen said.