Beck A. Taylor was inaugurated as Samford University’s 19th president Nov. 4 in a ceremony held in the university’s Leslie Stephen Wright Fine Arts Center.
Taylor received the oath of office from Bill Stevens, chair of Samford’s board of trustees. His investiture followed, during which he was conveyed the ceremonial chain of office.
The chain bears the names of those who have served as president and represents the authority and responsibility bestowed by the board of trustees. President Emeritus Andrew Westmoreland assisted with the investiture to represent continuity of the university’s Christ-centered mission since 1841.
Confidence in God’s plan
“The names of 18 presidents on this chain of office I now proudly wear, including the names of two Samford presidents I’ve known and loved, Drs. [Thomas] Corts and Westmoreland, don’t just point to a line of presidential succession,” Taylor said in his inaugural address.
“They also give us confidence that from one season of leadership to the next, God has important plans to accomplish in and through all of us here at Samford.”
Ephesians 3:16–19 was the theme of Taylor’s inaugural address with a focus on being “rooted and grounded in love.”
“I challenge us to make such love the cornerstone of all we do at Samford, to make love the foundation of any vision that we might cast together in the coming months and years,” Taylor said. “Some might think it too abstract, or too emotional, or too self-evident to claim as the foundation of all we do at an academic institution, at a modern university. But, if our efforts aren’t rooted and grounded in love, in the love of Christ, I contend that we will fail.”
Taylor said love is at the heart of Samford’s mission of “For God, for learning, forever.”
“It should be no surprise to us now that Christ’s commandment to us is rooted and grounded in love — a commandment to love God with all of ourselves (heart, mind, body, soul, spirit) and to love others fiercely, devotedly, sacrificially, even as we love ourselves,” Taylor said. “I’m not sure that the mission and vision of Samford could be articulated more succinctly or more inspirationally.”
Looking ahead to the future, Taylor encouraged the Samford community to “complete the work the Lord has given us while carrying the solemn duty to plant new seeds of hope, healing, justice, mercy and love” through our actions.
“We will be confident that the Good Lord will protect our humble offerings, nurturing those tiny seeds — those acts of love we will produce — until great timbers of goodness, and truth and beauty are established and graciously provide their welcome shade to future generations, and generations beyond those, until the Lord comes again,” Taylor said. “May some future president and Samford congregation … remember us fondly in posterity for being faithful in this next season.”
Taylor, who was president of Whitworth University from 2010 until coming to Samford in July of this year, previously served as dean and professor of economics for Samford’s Brock School of Business from 2005 to 2010.
Ahead of the inauguration service, Taylor led a procession of delegates from more than 65 higher education institutions, including University of Mobile President Lonnie Burnett.
The procession also included members of Samford’s board of trustees, deans, faculty members, representatives of student organizations, administrative officers and 112 flags representing the states, territories and countries that are home to Samford’s 55,000 alumni.
Week of activities
The inauguration capped off a week of activities, including the Samford Medallion Awards (see story here).
A speech by historian and presidential biographer Jon Meacham on civil discourse is being rescheduled, however, following student protests over Meacham’s involvement with Planned Parenthood.
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