Hendrix College Names SMU Dean Dr. William Tsutsui As New President

The Hendrix College Board of Trustees announced Friday (Nov. 1) that Dr. William M. Tsutsui will become the 11th President of Hendrix College beginning June 2014.

Tsutsui comes to Hendrix from Southern Methodist University where he led Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, the largest of SMU’s seven colleges and schools, as Dean and Professor of History. A specialist in modern Japanese business and economic history, his published books examine topics ranging from banking policy to the film icon Godzilla.

“On behalf of the Board of Trustees, we are extremely pleased and excited to welcome Dr. Tsutsui as the 11th President of Hendrix College,” said Hendrix alumnus David Knight, Chair of the Hendrix College Board of Trustees and Co-Chair of the Search Committee. “We are very fortunate to have such an accomplished academician and administrator to lead Hendrix into an exciting new era.”

Prior to joining SMU, Tsutsui served as Associate Dean for International Studies in the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Kansas where he was a history professor and director of the Kansas Consortium for Teaching About Asia in KU’s Center for East Asian Studies.

A Texas native, Tsutsui received a Ph.D. in history at Princeton University in 1995, and a Master of Arts in history there in 1990. He received a Master of Letters in Modern Japanese History from Oxford University’s Corpus Christi College in 1988 and graduated summa cum laude from Harvard University with a Bachelor of Arts in East Asian Studies in 1985.

“I am deeply honored for the opportunity to serve as President of Hendrix,” Tsutsui said. “Today, despite the challenges faced by all liberal arts colleges, Hendrix holds an enviable position. Your Hendrix Odyssey has clearly energized the campus and provided focus, identity, and national profile in a crowded academic marketplace. I firmly believe that Hendrix is well prepared for the challenges ahead and I look forward to working with the trustees, faculty, staff, and students to make a real contribution to Hendrix’s future.”

Tsutsui’s wife, Dr. Marjorie Swann, received a Ph. D. in 17th Century British Literature from Oxford University’s Corpus Christi College and will join the Hendrix faculty in the English department.

Tsutsui succeeds Dr. J. Timothy Cloyd, who has served as president of Hendrix since 2001.

W. Ellis Arnold, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Dean of Advancement, will continue to serve as Acting President until Dr. Tsutsui’s presidency begins in June 2014.