By Jeff B. Pool
Eli Lilly Chair in Religion and Culture
Professor of Religion
In 1972, Mr. and Mrs. Eli Lilly of Indianapolis, Indiana donated funds to establish a named professorship “as an integral part of the Campus Christian Center of Berea College.” They “designed” this professorship “to strengthen and [to] unify the intellectual and Christian purposes of the College.” Initially, Mr. and Mrs. Lilly and the president of the College at the time, Willis D. Weatherford, Jr., developed this professorship as a “visiting professorship” that would bring renowned scholars and teachers to campus on an annual basis to deliver lectures to “stimulate community thinking and witness in the area of Christian concerns and understanding.” 1
Due to the growth of the endowment for the Campus Christian Center, of which funding to support this professorship constitutes an essential component, the endowment eventually became healthy enough for its annual income to support two full tenure-track named Chairs, thus taking the place of annual year-long visiting professorships. As a result of this development, the College received permission from the Lilly Endowment to convert this visiting professorship into a first tenure-track named chair during the academic year of 2002–2003 and a second tenure-track named chair during the academic year of 2011–12. The first tenure-track appointment to the Eli Lilly Chair in Religion occurred in the academic year of 2003–2004. 2
Eli Lilly Visiting Professors of Religion
From 1972 to 1999, however, the College appointed a series of scholars in studies of religions, spirituality, and culture, as well as other Christian religious leaders, as Eli Lilly Visiting Professors of Religion. Among the numerous Eli Lilly Visiting Professors of Religion through the decades, several of these temporary members of the Faculty either had served previously as full-time members of the College Faculty or would eventually become full-time members of the College Faculty. The distinguished series of Visiting Professors included the following scholars, teachers, and leaders.
1972–73
Walter George Muelder: B.A., Knox College (1927); S.T.B., Boston University (1930); and Ph.D., Boston University (1933) 3
1973–74
Harry F. Booth: B.A., Harvard University (1949); S.T.B., Boston University (1952); and Ph.D., Boston University (1962) 4
1974–75
George F. Thomas: B.A., Southern Methodist University (1919); B.A., Oxford University (1923); and Ph.D., Harvard University (1929) 5
1975–76
John Wallhauser: B.S., University of Pittsburgh (1954); B.D., Yale University Divinity School (1957); and Ph.D., Yale University (1965) 6
1977–78
Dale W. Brown: B.A., McPherson College (1946); B.D., Bethany Biblical Seminary (1962); and Ph.D., Northwestern University (1962) 7
1978–79
George W. Forell: B.D., Lutheran Theological Seminary (1941); Th.M., Princeton Theological Seminary (1943); and Th.D., Union Theological Seminary (1949) 8
1979–80
Roger Hazelton: B.A., Amherst College (1931); B.D., Chicago Theological Seminary (1934); M.A., University of Chicago (1934); Ph.D., Yale University (1937); and D.D., Chicago Theological Seminary (1960) (Fall 1979) 9
Kelly Miller Smith: B.A., Morehouse College (1942); B.D., Howard University School of Religion (1945); and D.D., Howard University School of Religion (1976) (Spring 1980)10
1980–81
Roger Hazelton: B.A., Amherst College (1931); B.D., Chicago Theological Seminary (1934); M.A., University of Chicago (1934); Ph.D., Yale University (1937); and D.D., Chicago Theological Seminary (1960) (Spring 1981) 11
1981–82
D. B. Robertson: B.A., Berea College (1940); M.Div., Union Theological Seminary (1943); and Ph.D., Columbia University (1948) 12
1982–83
Wayne Rood: B.S. and B.A., Salem College; B.D., Alfred University; M.R.E., Hartford Seminary Foundation; and Th.D., Pacific School of Religion (Fall 1982) 13
D. B. Robertson: B.A., Berea College (1940); M.Div., Union Theological Seminary (1943); and Ph.D., Columbia University (1948) (Spring 1983) 14
1983–84
Ralph O. Hjelm: B.A., Upsala College (1944); B.D., Augustana Theological Seminary (1947); S.T.M., Union Theological Seminary (1947); and Ph.D., Harvard University (1954) 15
1985–86
Julian N. Hartt: B.A., Dakota Weslyan University (1932); B.D., Garrett Bible Institute (1937); M.A., Northwestern University (1938); Ph.D., Yale University (1940); D.Litt., Dakota Weslyan University (1961); and D.D., Bucknell University (1973) (Fall 1985) 16
George W. Forell: B.D., Lutheran Theological Seminary (1941); Th.M., Princeton Theological Seminary (1943); and Th.D., Union Theological Seminary (1949) (Spring 1986) 17
1986–87
Thomas Hopko: Ph.D., Fordham University (1982) (Fall 1986) 18
Daniel Berrigan: B.A., Andrews University on Hudson (1946); M.A., Woodstock College (1952); and S.J., Ordained (1952) (Spring 1987) 19
1987–88
Denis Baly: B.A., University of Liverpool (1935); and Diploma in Education, University of Liverpool (1936) (Fall 1987) 20
1988–89
Riggins R. Earl: B.A., American Baptist College (1966); M.Div., Vanderbilt University Divinity School (1969); and Ph.D., Vanderbilt University (1978) (Fall 1988) 21
Philip J. Lee: B.S., Davidson College (1954); S.T.B, Harvard University Divinity School (1957); and Ph.D., Vanderbilt University (1978) (Spring 1989) 22
1989–90
Marianne H. Micks: B.A., Smith College (1945); M.A., Columbia University (1948); B.D., Church Divinity School of the Pacific (1957); Ph.D., Yale University (1960); D.D., Church Divinity School of the Pacific (1968); and D.D. Trinity Lutheran Seminary (1988) (Fall 1989) 23
1990–91
Theresa Scherf: B.A., Huntington College (1965); M.Div., Duke University Divinity School (1968); and Ph.D., Marquette University (1987) (Fall 1990) 24
David C. Cooper: B.A., University of California (1970); and Ph.D., Brown University (1977) (Spring 1991) 25
1991–92
Tom Sherwood: B.A., William Jewell College (1958); and M.A., University of Chicago (1961 and 1968) 26
1992–93
Parker J. Palmer: B.A., Carleton College; M.A., University of California, Berkeley; and Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley 27
1993–94
Paul Bosch: B.A., Muhlenberg College (1952); and M.Div., Lutheran Theological Seminary, Philadelphia (1956) 28
1994–95
Tumani Nyajeka: B.A., Birmingham Southern College (1985); M.A., Duke University (1987); and M.A., Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary (1989) 29
1995–96
Edwin Broadhead: B.A., Mississippi College (1977); M.Div., Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (1981); Ph.D., Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (1986); and Th.D., University of Zurich (1991) 30
1996–97
Edwin Broadhead: B.A., Mississippi College (1977); M.Div., Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (1981); Ph.D., Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (1986); and Th.D., University of Zurich (1991) 31
1998–99
Carmel McEnroy: B.A., Marrillac College (1967); M.A., University of St. Michael’s College (1976); and Ph.D., University of St. Michael’s College (1984) 32
Eli Lilly Endowed Chairs In Studies of Religions, Spirituality, and Culture
As stated previously, the College initially converted the Eli Lilly Visiting Professorship in Religion into a first tenure-track named chair during the academic year of 2002–2003. The first tenure-track appointment to the Eli Lilly Chair in Religion occurred in the following academic year: 2003–2004. 33 After several years, however, the continued growth of the endowment for the Campus Christian Center permitted the College to develop a second named chair in studies of religions, spirituality, and culture. Thus, during the academic year of 2011–12, the College established the Eli Lilly Chair in Religion and Culture.
Eli Lilly Chair in Religion (Tenure-Track Position One)
Since the first endowed tenure-track Eli Lilly professorship took effect in the academic year of 2003–2004, two faculty-members have held this chair consecutively: Jacquelyn Michelle Tooley; and Duane Andre Smith.
Jacquelyn Michelle Tooley (2003–15)
On the basis of a national search, the College hired its first incumbent for this named chair: The Rev. Dr. Jacquelyn Michelle Tooley. Professor Tooley held this professorship from 2003 until her death in 2015. She held the following academic degrees: B.S., Northwestern State University of Louisiana (1975); M.Div., Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (1982); and Ph.D., Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (1994). 34
Duane Andre Smith (2015–present)
In 2015, the College appointed The Rev. Dr. Duane Andre Smith to the Eli Lilly Chair in Religion. The Rev. Dr. Smith, who came to Berea College in 1995, holds the following academic degrees: B.A., William Penn College (1980); M.Div., Earlham School of Religion (1983); Th.M., Harvard University Divinity School (1986); M.A. (Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations), Harvard University (1991); and Ph.D. (Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations), Harvard University (1994). 35
Eli Lilly Chair in Religion and Culture (Tenure-Track Position Two)
The second endowed tenure-track Eli Lilly professorship took effect in the academic year of 2011–2012. To date, one faculty-member has held this endowed academic chair: Jeff B. Pool.
Jeff B. Pool (2012–present)
In 2012, the College appointed The Rev. Dr. Jeff B. Pool to the Eli Lilly Chair in Religion and Culture. The Rev. Dr. Pool, who came to Berea College in 2003, holds the following academic degrees: B.A. (Religion and Philosophy), Wayland Baptist College (1975); M.Div. (Jewish Scriptures), Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (1979); M.A. (Philosophy), Texas Christian University (1980); and Ph.D. (Theology, Philosophy of Religion, Theological Ethics), University of Chicago (1994). 36