The Inauguration of Laura Rosenbury

Laura Ann Rosenbury was inaugurated as the ninth president of Barnard College at Riverside Church on February 2, 2024. She had already been on the job for seven months, having replaced Sian Beilock when the latter left to take the helm at Dartmouth. So the event was largely ceremonial, much like an elaborate exchange of wedding vows long after the courthouse papers have been signed.

Such rituals have meaning and purpose, of course. They cement a relationship, and provide a glimpse into the history, character, and priorities of the people involved. In this instance we heard from Laura’s sister Linda Rosenbury, her college roommate and lifelong friend Nalini Kotamraju, her law school professor and mentor Martha Minnow, and Judge Dennis Jacobs, for whom she once clerked. A number of former students and colleagues also testified to her strengths.

The past few months have been tumultuous on campus. Starting on October 7 itself, the college has issued a number of official statements, some of which have been attempts to put out fires ignited by earlier statements. Responses to these communications by students and faculty have been circulating, including letters protesting the content of prior letters. Several changes in policy have been implemented at short notice, including rules governing events and the use of internet domains and subdomains. The New York Civil Liberties Union and PEN America have taken notice, as has the New York Times.

This is the backdrop against which the inauguration was held. Predictably, there were protests outside the event, at both major entrances to Riverside Church. Less predictably—since the event required registration and identity checks on entry—the inaugural address itself was interrupted by protesters rising in sequence, ten of whom were escorted out. Much of this was (understandably) edited out of the official video, though you can hear some commotion in the background.

As I oberved in an earlier post, this must be an incredibly difficult time to lead an institution of higher learning, especially for a recent arrival with little prior familiarity with the community. Over the past few months, I have occasionally wondered whether President Rosenbury regrets her decision to take the job, when every step is seen as a misstep by one party or another, and the criticism can be fierce and withering. This question was decisively answered during her address, when she said the following:

When I think about it, every step in my life has been leading to this moment, and this College… I found my passion educating, supporting, and advancing the rights of women and children at law school… Although I didn't know in advance where that path would take me, I've known since my very first day on the Barnard campus, with every fiber of my being—especially over the last few minutes—that this is where I'm supposed to be.

The italicized phrase above was a spontaneous response to the protests, and could not have been in her prepared remarks. If anyone doubts the sincerity of these words, it’s worth watching and listening to the emphatic manner in which they were delivered.

In the current climate, President Rosenbury will face unrelenting and irreconcilable pressures from students, faculty, parents, alumnae, trustees, and donors. Every step she takes will be scrutinized, and reactions will be polarized.

But there is one thing on which I think we can all agree—Laura Rosenbury is very good at picking paper titles.