Dear Temple community, 

These last two weeks since the Board of Trustees’ appointment of John Fry as our university’s 15th president have been marked by an unparalleled level of excitement for Temple’s future. There is incredible enthusiasm for our president-elect and his proven track record of leading higher education institutions that have prioritized academic excellence, innovation and research, and neighborhood investment.

Temple is Philadelphia’s public university. In John Fry, we have someone who sees how a university can serve all those within and around it. We are all looking forward to President-elect Fry taking the helm at Temple, and he is just as eager to get started.

As previously shared, John is committed to ensuring a smooth leadership transition at his current institution, Drexel University. Today, Drexel’s Board of Trustees announced the next step in that process by appointing an interim president. Over the next few months, President-elect Fry will work closely with the interim president to transfer critical information and institutional knowledge.

John Fry will officially join Temple as our 15th president on November 1.

President Richard Englert will continue to provide a steady hand of leadership during this time and work closely with the university’s leadership team to prepare the president-elect for a successful transition to Temple.

We will continue to keep you informed over the coming months. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to learn more about President-elect John Fry.

Thank you for your continued commitment to Temple University.

Sincerely, 

Mitchell L. Morgan
Chair, Board of Trustees