Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol.
Already have an account?
By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR's or APMG entities' programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?
Education News
Peter Cox

Hamline University hires new president a year after academic freedom controversy

An exterior look at Hamline university buildings02
Hamline University buildings in the snow on Friday, Jan. 13, 2023.
Ben Hovland | MPR News

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Hamline University has hired a new president.

The St. Paul liberal arts school selected Dr. Kathleen Murray to be the 21st president of the institution.

The change comes a year after Hamline became embroiled in a controversy over academic freedom and a student’s complaint about showing the image of the Prophet Muhammed during an art class.

The controversy put the school in the international spotlight, and faculty at Hamline ended up voting to ask current Hamline President Fayneese Miller to resign because of it.

Kathleen Murray
Kathleen Murray will be the new president of Hamline University.
Courtesy of Whitman College

Miller is set to begin a sabbatical on Jan. 1, 2024, when Murray will assume the role of acting/interim president. Miller is set to retire at the end of June next year.

Murray was most recently the president of Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash., where she worked for seven years, retiring in 2022.

Prior to that, she served as provost, dean of the faculty and professor of music at Macalester College. 

In a press release, Hamline praised her work around budgets and fundraising.

“In her time at Whitman, she guided the college through the COVID-19 pandemic; implemented a campus-wide financial sustainability review in 2020 that allowed the college to develop and implement a sustainable budget coming out of COVID; guided a strategic planning process that informed fundraising priorities in the first phase of a comprehensive campaign which raised more than $100 million; and successfully raised over $10 million to build a new residence hall and dining commons,“ the release said.