On Nov. 6 in Historic Hutton Arena, members of the Hamline community came together to officially welcome Dr. Mayme K. Hostetter as the 22nd president of the university. The ceremony was held during convo hour, allowing students, staff and faculty a chance to come and celebrate the president. The ceremony began with a procession of delegates from colleges and universities, the Board of Trustees and many special guests, as well as faculty and a few students. Newly hired Provost Dr. Wesley Kisting was named the Master of Ceremonies for the event and gave a welcome speech for those in the audience.

Hostetter was then formally introduced by a close friend, Laela Sturdy, from her undergraduate time at Harvard University.

“I witnessed firsthand Mayme’s commitment to her former students, as they would parade through our living room years after she taught them, still seeking her advice. It was in that moment, I realized that education remaining wasn’t merely a job. It was a calling,” Sturdy said.

Alongside close friends, many of Dr. Hostetter’s family members attended the event, including her wife, Crista Samaras and their two children.

“It’s amazing to see somebody you love be welcomed so warmly by a community she has a lot of pride in,” Samaras said.

Beyond close friends and family, the event was attended by many Hamline alumni as well as the two previous presidents of the university, Dr. Fayneese Miller and Dr. Kathleen Murray. Both were present as President Hostetter accepted the call to service and was given the symbols of office by members of the Board of Trustees.

“Dr. Hostetter processed wearing her earned academic hood for a doctorate in education from Columbia University. Kira and Brenda [Members of the Board of Trustees] will help remove this, and then she’ll be rogued in the Hamline Presidential Regalia,” Chair of the Board of Trustees Doron Clark said.

The Presidential regalia is in Hamline’s school colors of Red and Grey and features four chevrons on the sleeve, which are only for the president’s robes. Hostetter was also presented with the official charter of Hamline University, the ceremonial mace and the seal of Hamline. After accepting each of these, Dr. Hostetter gave an inaugural address to the crowd, celebrating Hamline’s history and looking forward to the future.

“And it’s our first that I want to talk about together here today. Hamline’s past, present and future firsts,” Hostetter said.

Acknowledged then was Hamline’s history as the first university in the State, at the time territory of Minnesota, as well as its first graduates in 1859, being women. Beyond the historic firsts, Dr. Hostetter discussed what firsts could be in the near future for Hamline. She credited these ideas for future firsts to the 257 conversations she has had with students, staff and faculty on her listening tour, which began at the start of her time here at Hamline.

“I’m going to share a couple ideas about what our next first might be, but I cannot take credit. These are coming from our Hamline community,” Hostetter said.

These included things ranging from the inclusivity of student communities to the assurance of job placement after graduation.

“We could be the first university to ensure that all our students, across race, socioeconomics, gender identity, religion, politics or any of the other identity markers that tend to divide us in this country. We could be the first university to ensure that all of our students report high levels of belonging, engagement with each other and on time graduation,” Hostetter said.

The ceremony concluded with a procession out of the Arena. The energy in the room was quite high as all facets of campus life celebrated a shared experience.

“You know, there’s tradition in this. There’s a pomp and circumstance of formality, and it’s to give energy. It’s to give us a collective thing that we did. Yeah. We installed, we inaugurated. Mayme K. Hostetter,” Clark said.

Fellow members of the University Administration shared in the excitement as well.

“I’m excited about the energy and all that was shared,” Dean of Students Patti Kersten said.

Along with President Hostetter’s shared ideas of firsts, many students and faculty are looking forward to seeing what’s in Hamline’s future.

“I’m really looking forward to her being able to guide forward in the next steps such as the strategic plan,” Kersten said.

Following the Inauguration, there was a reception ceremony which took place in the first level of Anderson Center, which featured an array of cuisines from Minnesota and New York — Coney Island hot dogs and a tater tot dish, both of which Hostetter has called home.

With reporting from Aiden Lewald, Erik Larson, Matias Vega and Hiroko Zeleke.