WEST LONG BRANCH — This is Paul R. Brown?s moment. Or more precisely, the beginning of many moments as Brown assumes the presidency of Monmouth University, succeeding Paul G. Gaffney II, who is retiring after 10 years as the leader of the 55-year-old school.
At ceremonies Wednesday in the blistering sun, as ?the two Pauls? stood shoulder-to-shoulder on the steps of historic Woodrow Wilson Hall, Brown stepped up as Gaffney bid adieu with his customary brevity and some melancholy.
Watch the video above to hear remarks from Gaffney as well as from Brown.
The university has embraced the new president and his wife, Joan G. Fishman, during the monthlong transition, said Brown, who is able to act officially today as the eighth president, selected in February after a national search that lasted nearly a year. Gaffney becomes president emeritus on the same date.
The welcoming attitude is ?truly palpable,? Brown said. ?I just feel it all the time.?
In return, said Brown, who has declined to reveal his age, ?I will give it my best shot.?
Brown said he intends to serve the students, faculty and staff and ?the wider community.?
What will be his priority over the next few months?
Anyone walking across campus should feel free to stop Brown and give him a piece of their mind but they could receive ?an earful? in reply, he said. ?I want to listen and ... learn,? he said. ?I don?t want to miss a beat.?
Brown provided a glimpse into his communication style. ?I?m pretty aggressive ? with a smile,? said Brown, with a smile. ?Aren?t we always on to the next thing?? Brown asked. ?I do it with a smile, I do it with passion and I do it with growth? in mind.
Hundreds of faculty, students, alumni and community officials and others watched as Gaffney described Monmouth University as the best job ?we? ever had, referring to himself and his wife, Linda, who already is working to get their retirement home in South Carolina up and running.
Gaffney couldn?t resist a joke at the expense of his new address, expressing gratitude to ?you all? who helped make his experience such a positive one. Then he stopped and said, ?I guess I should say y?all,? said the Massachusetts native, trying on the accent of the deep south with no success whatsoever.
Some 10 years and 10 months earlier, Gaffney described a road trip he and his wife took on a cold and rainy Thanksgiving weekend.
?It was low-level reconnaissance,? said Gaffney, a retired naval Vice Admiral with 30 years of high-level military experience behind him.
?We liked what we saw,? he said of their first view of Monmouth University, sans students because of the holiday.
Lillian C. Borrone, a colleague on the U.S. Ocean Policy Commission, had suggested Gaffney consider Monmouth University as he finished up as head of the National Defense University.
The rest is history.
?Wednesday is the last day of a dream job for us and it is the first day of a new era,? Gaffney said in deference to Brown.
?Melancholy creeps in as we are about to leave a job we had longer than any other job ... and the people who made it so good,? Gaffney said.
In another bow to his military background, he turned to Robert B. Sculthorpe, chairman of Monmouth?s board of trustees, and said, ?I am ready to be relieved, sir,? to which Sculthorpe replied, ?Your request has been granted.?
?We are sad to see President Gaffney leave but we are profoundly grateful for his 10 years of outstanding leadership,? Sculthorpe said as he presented Gaffney with a blue and white university flag that he said Gaffney could add to his collection.
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