Grove City College inaugurated Bradley J. Lingo ’00 as its 10th president Thursday, marking a new milestone in the College’s history as it celebrates its 150th anniversary this year.
Lingo, an attorney and law professor, was selected last year to lead the College and began work in July. He was formally invested with the powers and duties of the presidency during an installation service in Harbison Chapel.
In his remarks, Lingo quoted College founder Isaac Ketler and acknowledged all those who had “worked so hard and given so much to build” Grove City College into what it is today.
“The mission and vision of this College are the most precious inheritance we have received from those who have come before us. They anchor us. They sustain us. And they propel us forward — into our next 150 years,” Lingo said. “We embrace a distinctive vision of higher education — higher education with a higher purpose.”
Grove City College is “a Christ-centered community that resists conformity, pursues renewal, rejoices in hope, perseveres through challenge, and remains faithful in prayer and purpose,” he said. “Christian, conservative, academically excellent, affordable. That’s who we are. That’s the mission I’m honored to steward,” he said.
It is a “remarkable moment” to be leading the College, Lingo said. “This year, we celebrate the 150th anniversary of Grove City College alongside the 250th anniversary of American independence. These twin milestones call us to look back with thanksgiving — and to look ahead with renewed purpose. For me, they call to mind President Ronald Reagan’s sense of ‘morning in America.’ From where I stand, it’s not just morning in America; it’s morning at Grove City College, too,” he said.
“As for me, I am deeply honored to steward this legacy with you — to build on the work of those who have come before us, grateful for the past we celebrate, energized by this moment, and ready to lead Grove City College into its next 150 years,” Lingo concluded.
The installation service featured sacred songs, scripture, salutations from students and faculty, and remarks by two of Lingo’s predecessors, presidents emeriti Richard G. Jewell ’67 and Paul J. McNulty ’80. Jewell, who served from 2003 to 2014, talked about the history of College leadership and how past presidents advanced the mission across 150 years. McNulty, who served from 2014 to 2025, reflected on the centrality of the Christian faith at Grove City College.
Former Vice President Mike Pence, who serves as a distinguished visiting fellow with the College’s Center for Faith & Public Life, delivered the benediction.