Benjamin Ladner
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dr. Benjamin Ladner (born October 30, 1941, Mobile, Alabama) is an academic in the fields of philosophy and theology. He was president of American University from 1994 until October 2005.
He was previously been married to Carolyn Cooper, with whom he had two sons, David and Mark, and later remarried to Nancy Bullard.
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[edit] Education
The son of Willie E. and Bonnie Ladner, Ladner attended Murphy High School in Mobile followed by undergraduate study at Baylor University. After receiving his Bachelor of Arts in 1963, Ladner went on to earn a Bachelor of Divinity from Southern Seminary in 1966 and, after completing his dissertation "Elizabeth Sewell: Poetic Method As An Instrument of Thinking and Knowing", his Doctor of Philosophy from Duke University in 1970.
During his professional career, Ladner has earned honorary doctorates from Elizabethtown College, Sookmyung Women’s University and Tashkent State Economic University.
[edit] Career
Ladner began his career in academia as a professor of philosophy and religion at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. While serving at UNC-Greensboro, Ladner won a Teaching Excellence Award and was nominated to the National Faculty for the Arts, Humanities, and Sciences, an association of university professors founded by Phi Beta Kappa, and served as its president for thirteen years.
[edit] American University
Ladner was appointed President of, and professor of philosophy and religion at, American University in 1994. After a string of short term presidents, Ladner's appointment is credited with bringing stability to the University after a period of turmoil and rapid turnover of presidents.[citation needed] During his tenure, the University saw financial and academic growth, along with recognition as an international university, with several campuses and partnering universities around the world.
While in post, Ladner chaired the Board of Trustees of the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area.
In 2001, Ladner negotiated with the Chinese government for the release of Gao Zhan prior to her being charged with tax fraud and espionage by the United States government.
[edit] Removal from presidency of American University
Towards the end of his time at American University, Ladner came under increasing criticism for his high salary, lavish lifestyle, and his frequent travels to visit partnering universities throughout the world.
The website BenLadner.com was created by students at the University in 2002 to highlight these criticisms. In October 2004, Ladner filed a complaint with ICANN, alleging that the website's prominent use of his name caused confusion for visitors, causing them to believe it to be his own personal website. ICANN ruled against him, refusing to remove the domain name because Ladner's name had no commercial value.
In August 2005, The Washington Post reported on the opening of an investigation by the American University Board of Trustees into Dr Ladner's expenses. An anonymous letter to the board alleged that Ladner had improperly used University funds for personal expenses. Ladner was placed on administrative leave by the Board pending the outcome of the investigation. On August 25, he was suspended from his post.
The patience of students reached the breaking point on September 28, 2005, when hundreds of students rallied on the campus to demand Ladner's removal, as reported by the campus newspaper. On October 10, 2005, The Board of Trustees of American University announced that he will not return to American University as its president. The Board upheld the accusations of excessive use of university money for private spending.
In 2002, Ladner and Kogod School of Business Dean Myron Roomkin awarded an honorary doctorate to the Smithsonian Institution's Lawrence Small.[1]. In March 2007, in an episode that recalled Ladner's own demise at American University, an expose of Small's spending led to his resignation.[2]
[edit] External links
- Hundreds Rally to Protest Ladner - The Eagle, 29 September 2005
- AU President's Expenses Examined - Washington Post, 3 August 2005
| Preceded by Joseph Duffey |
President, American University 1994-2005 |
Succeeded by Cornelius M. Kerwin |
