Author: Otterbein Editorial Staff

Otterbein University is mourning the passing of President Emeritus Thomas J. Kerr IV on Aug. 6, 2021.

Kerr joined the faculty in 1963 and served as president from 1971 to 1984.

“Tom was dedicated to service and lived that out at Otterbein. Everyone who knew him was better for it, including me. I am proud to have called him a friend and to continue his work of caring for Otterbein and our students,” said President John Comerford.

Kerr was born Oct. 8, 1933, in Columbus, Ohio. He received a bachelor’s degree in industrial and labor relations from Cornell University in 1956, a master’s degree in history from the University of Buffalo in 1959, and a doctorate degree in social science from Syracuse University in 1965.

He came to Otterbein as an assistant professor of history. As a faculty member, he was active on campus committees and served as acting academic dean for seven months from 1969 to 1970.

Kerr was selected from a pool of 117 candidates to become the 18th president of Otterbein in 1971, when he was only 37 years old. In his inauguration program, it was noted that although he was “young in years,” he already had “a wide range of experience as a scholar, teacher and college administrator.”

As a president, Kerr was known as a builder of ideas, implementing innovative programs that established Otterbein as a leader in higher education—programs that other universities would later implement.

When he accepted the position in 1971, Kerr laid out his plans for his future presidency in a statement, which partially reads: “Private colleges face financial problems stemming from rising costs and increased competition for students. Progress cannot come primarily through growth but must come through reassessment of our present programs. We must also conceive imaginative new programs responsive to the needs of both our rapidly changing society and our students who become its future leaders. We must develop a flexible curriculum combining study and action.”

In response to his insights about the future of higher education, Kerr launched the University’s nationally acclaimed Integrative Studies curriculum, which remains a model curriculum in higher education today, as well as the continuing education program for adult learners. He also launched Otterbein’s signature programs in nursing and equine science. He created new partnerships for Otterbein, many of which remain strong today.

In a 2014 interview, Kerr said, “The sense of total community and its educational impact, both the curricular and the co-curricular programs, create a unique and really outstanding environment. That community goes out in rings to the metropolitan area, into the larger country and the world.”

Viewing students as future leaders, Kerr valued the role of students in governing the University. As a faculty member, he was involved with the reorganization of the University’s governance system. During his presidency, Otterbein became the first university in the nation to have students and faculty seated as permanent, voting members of its board of trustees.

“The most important thing you could do in your decision-making process came in the recruiting of faculty and staff members and making sure that they would continue the traditions of the community and decision making in the community, which was a very open governance system…involving students. It was a learning experience at all levels and a unique system when it was implemented in the late ’60s, and has continued its tradition today,” Kerr said in 2014.

Kerr also led changes to facilities, often with a focus on strengthening the arts at Otterbein. In 1972, he dedicated the new library, which was named the Courtright Memorial Library seven years later and houses the Becker Gallery for art on the lower level. When the Rike Center was built in 1975 to address changing needs for Otterbein’s athletics program, the shift allowed the Alumni Gymnasium to be renovated into a hub for arts on campus. The gymnasium was reborn as the Battelle Fine Arts Center in 1979. Another advancement in the arts was the addition of the scene shop to Cowan Hall in 1982, which provided space to build more elaborate sets for Otterbein’s theatre productions.

During Kerr’s presidency, the endowment rose from $2.9 to $6.9 million. After his retirement from higher education at the age of 50, he continued to raise money to fund higher education initiatives. He later served as president of the Grant Medical Center Development Foundation in Columbus, Ohio.

An editorial in The Columbus Dispatch at the time of Kerr’s resignation announcement stated, “Thomas J. Kerr IV, president of Otterbein College, will end his 13-year tenure in June on a high note. At a time when many small private colleges are in serious trouble, Kerr leaves the Westerville institution with an increased enrollment, substantially greater endowment support, new buildings completed and a number of new programs in place geared to changing educational needs.”

Kerr remained involved with Otterbein after his retirement, attending events and even researching and speaking about Otterbein’s history to alumni audiences and the Westerville Historical Society. The Presidents Gallery exhibit on the second floor of Towers Hall displays his research on the other presidents, as well as Kerr’s own achievements as the 18th president.

In a 2014 interview, he stated, “(Otterbein) is a university of opportunity and it has provided countless opportunities for students—sometimes second chances—and the strength of the sense of community is so exceptional that it distinguishes it from many other schools.”

He added, “I’m certainly proud that I had the opportunity to serve (at) a university that has so many successful graduates and so many successful stories of their experiences when they were students here.”

President Emeritus Kathy Krendl recognized her predecessor’s impact on the university. “President Kerr’s legacy lives on in the essential and distinctive character of an Otterbein education and its commitment to being accessible to a diverse population of students. His vision for the institution continues to serve as an important touchstone.”

Bob Gatti, vice president emeritus for student affairs, said, “Tom Kerr was a gentle, thoughtful, kind person who, along with his wife, Donna, loved Otterbein.”

He is survived by his wife, Donna Kerr; children, Thomas Kerr V, Cheryl Kerr Coleman, and Kathleen Kerr Hansen; and eight grandchildren.

Retiring faculty leave behind a legacy for new faculty to continue

As students and alumni know well, Otterbein faculty members do more than lecture behind a podium. Faculty devote their lives to guiding their students through mentorship, research, networking, and other support that often extends beyond graduation. The work of Otterbein’s faculty members leaves a timeless impression on students and often shapes the direction of their careers and lives.

At the end of the 2021 academic year, seven highly respected and long-serving faculty members retired. Between them, they committed a combined 201 years of service crafting Otterbein students to go into the world and make a difference.

These retirees are passing the light of learning onto newer faculty members, ensuring the Otterbein experience they helped to build will continue for generations to come.

Also retiring but not profiled is Professor Lou Rose, who joined the faculty of the Department of History and Political Science in 1991. Rose continues to serve as the executive director of the Sigmund Freud Archives, a role he has held since 2015.

New Faces, Same Commitment

As beloved faculty members retire, new members are making their mark. In their relatively short time on campus, these professors have made a big impact.

These alumni use their life experiences to help others as leaders of non-profits.

Tyler TerMeer ’05

“One of the things I have learned over time is that you only have control over so much. Every decision you make in life should come from your authentic self,” said Tyler TerMeer ’05, CEO of the Cascade AIDS Project (CAP) in Portland, OR.

Growing up, TerMeer struggled to understand his racial identity, sexual orientation, and gender identity. His journey to becoming his most authentic self began at Otterbein University.

As a theatre design and technology major, TerMeer once dreamed of becoming a production stage manager. During his senior year his life took a new direction when, at the age of 21, he was diagnosed with HIV.

This diagnosis would not stop his ambitions, but it did shift his focus — it was important to continue to live life as a strong and inspiring openly gay man of color and a powerful voice in advocating HIV policy.

“When I learned of my HIV diagnosis, I did not know what my future would be. The people around me taught me that I was going to live and empowered me to be the best version of myself,” TerMeer said.

Soon after graduating, a unique opportunity came along to start a small retail clothing business, which he ran for six years before taking his career in a new direction. After receiving support and services from a local HIV organization, he decided to put his efforts into helping “those living with HIV have the best chance at living and thriving with their disease.”

Over the next several years, he worked for HIV-focused non-profits in Ohio, Arizona, Washington, D.C., and finally Portland, OR, where he leads CAP.

“I saw this amazingly progressive, well-respected non-profit that had so much potential. I had seen an amazing transformation beginning to happen in Portland and I wanted to be a part of it,” said TerMeer.

CAP provides compassionate and inclusive health and wellness services to the LGBTQ+ community, those affected by HIV, and others. Recently, CAP opened the PRISM Health clinic.

“This new healthcare experience was designed for and by queer people to be a resource that is life-affirming and life-changing for LGBTQ+ people,” said TerMeer.

In recognition of his many contributions to the community and those around him, TerMeer was recently named the 2021 Executive of the Year by the Portland Business Journal.

“Life throws curveballs both good and bad,” said TerMeer. “It’s up to us to be open to a new unexpected journey.”

Amber Horton ’16

When the virtual meeting starts, the two 10th-grade football players aren’t saying much, but the meeting leader, Amber Horton ’16, keeps trying to connect with them as they work on their art project about Black History Month.

“Where are we with cutting out our letters?” asks Horton.
“I’m on ‘C,’” responds the one student with his video on.
After an excruciating pause, a shy student puts in the chat, “‘A.’”

Horton knows how tough it is for teens, especially those who struggle with mental health issues, to express themselves. That is why she wanted to create an outlet for students and co-founded findingBLANK in 2017 in Cleveland with her mother, Debbie. Along with several volunteers, she plans and administers after-school and pop-up programs for grades K-12.

Her awareness for this issue grew from a painful place back in high school with a friend who spread lies about her. Once a social butterfly, Horton would walk into empty classrooms, early for every class because no one would talk to her.

“I felt like no one would miss me. I took a handful of pills, and I thought that would have ended it all,” said Horton.

Fortunately, Horton’s mother found her and took her to the emergency room. A psychiatric hospitalization became the turning point in Horton’s life.

She graduated from high school and enrolled at Otterbein, where she majored in sociology with minors in psychology and anthropology. A life-changing study abroad trip made her decide to start her own non-profit, findingBLANK, after she graduated.

“I feel like if I can give teens the tools to express themselves … through writing poetry, or journaling, or painting, or creating music, or dance movements,” said Horton, “that’s a way for them to not only express themselves, but also connect to other people to combat a lot of the issues that they’re going through.”

“It’s relaxing,” says a boy as he glues letters to a poster board. He’s soon telling Horton he has a job at a restaurant, he plays football, he’s curious about why slavery started in the first place, and that George Floyd’s death made him afraid of the police.

The student holds up his finished art. Yellow letters spelling “Black” are dotted with small, cut-out pictures. Pieces of paper with “BLM” and “We want peace” stand out in greens and yellows against the black poster board.

He says, “I’m going to hang this in my room.”

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