Herman J. Saatkamp Jr. | |
---|---|
President of Stockton University | |
In office June 2003 – April 2015 | |
Preceded by | Vera King Farris |
Succeeded by | Harvey Kesselman |
Personal details | |
Born | September 29, 1942 Knoxville, TN |
Spouse | Dorothy Saatkamp |
Residence(s) | Galloway Township, NJ |
Alma mater |
|
Profession | President of Stockton University, tenured professor of Philosophy |
Website | Office of the President |
Herman Saatkamp was the fourth president of Stockton University (formerly Stockton College) in Galloway Township, New Jersey.[1] He succeeded Vera King Farris[2] in June 2003. Prior to his appointment at Stockton, Saatkamp fulfilled numerous roles at other universities. On April 22, 2015, Saatkamp submitted his resignation as president, to be effective by August 31. However, on April 28, he initiated a medical leave of absence, citing "past and present health considerations".[3] His departure occurred amidst controversy surrounding Stockton's purchase of the shuttered Showboat casino, which Saatkamp intended to repurpose as an "island campus" of Stockton.[4]
Saatkamp is an authority on philosopher George Santayana.[5]
Saatkamp received his B.A. from Carson-Newman College, his M.Div. from Southern Theological Seminary, and his M.A. and Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University.[1] Prior to his presidency at Stockton, he was the dean of the School of Liberal Arts at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, the head of the Department of Humanities in Medicine at the College of Medicine at Texas A&M University, and the head of the Department of Philosophy and Humanities at the College of Liberal Arts at Texas A&M University.[1][6]
Stockton has been ranked in the top tier of the Best Regional Colleges and Universities of the North by U.S. News & World Report in its annual "America's Best Colleges" for the last seven years (as of September 2014). It has also been ranked by U.S. News & World Report in its Top 15 Schools in the North.[when?] Stockton ranked in the fourth tier when Saatkamp became president in 2003 and in the third tier in 2005. The Princeton Review also named Stockton one of the "Best in the Northeast" in August 2014.[7]
Saatkamp's achievements at Stockton include the building and opening of the Unified Science Center in September 2013, the completion of the Stockton Campus Center in May 2011, and the acquisition of Seaview, a golf club and hotel that offers additional student housing and has benefitted the school's Hospitality and Tourism Management Studies Program.[8][9][10][11][12] The Stockton Foundation's assets have grown from $2.4 million to nearly $29 million (as of April 2015) under Saatkamp's leadership.[5]
A scholar on philosopher George Santayana, Saatkamp is Senior and Founding Editor of the Santayana Edition. The Santayana Edition produces The Works of George Santayana, a critical edition of Santayana's published and unpublished writings.[13] Saatkamp was the General Editor and director of the Santayana Edition for over twenty-five years.[14] He was also the co-founder and co-editor of Overheard in Seville: The Bulletin of the Santayana Society.[15] In May 1992, Saatkamp organized the first International Conference on George Santayana in Avila, Spain, and delivered a paper titled "Santayana: The Popular Stranger."[16] He also delivered a major address to the International Congress for George Santayana in Italy in 2012.[5] Saatkamp's works on Santayana include five volumes (in twelve books) of The Works of George Santayana, which he co-edited as the General Editor of the Santayana Edition.[17]
Saatkamp is married to Dorothy Saatkamp, who worked in special education, focusing on learning disabilities. The couple has two children and two granddaughters.[18]