The Hon. Paul J. McNulty ’80 was formally installed as the ninth President of Grove City College on Monday, March 23, in an uplifting ceremony that marked the official beginning of a new era in the College’s life.

McNulty, the fourth alumnus to hold the office, spoke about the College’s future in terms of a moral duty to continue the work of generations of leaders who built Grove City College on the ideals of faith and freedom, and a conviction that “nothing happens without God’s will.”

“We don’t know if our plans are God’s plans, if our wants are God’s wants, but be assured God’s plans will prevail and they are good,” McNulty said. “The future of Grove City College is in very good hands. Not my hands. His hands.”

McNulty, 57, is an accomplished attorney with a long career in the public and private sectors. A former U.S. Deputy Attorney General, federal prosecutor and Congressional counsel, he is Of Counsel with the global law firm Baker & MacKenzie and an acknowledged expert on corporate ethics.

The ceremony in Harbison Chapel on campus was attended by students, faculty, alumni and others, including three former College presidents: Charles S. MacKenzie (1971-1991); John H. Moore (1996-2003); and Richard G. Jewell ’67 (2003-2014.)

During the service, the College’s Presidential Medallion was presented to McNulty. “The medallion conveys the privileges, rights and responsibilities of the office of the President of Grove City College,” David Rathburn ’79, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, said.

The Rev. Dr. Richard A. Morledge ’54, Trustee Emeritus, offered a prayer for the investiture as members of the Board laid hands on McNulty. Morledge, the retired Dean of Chapel at the College, concluded with his familiar catchphrase: “It’s a great day in the Kingdom.”

For a Flickr gallery of images from the inauguration, see www.gcc.edu/installationphotos.