Chaplain Johnson to retire; no replacement named yet

The University will lose one of its greatest sources of support tomorrow, when Chaplain Stanley Johnson retires after 34 years of service. And the position will never be the same again. When Johnson announced his retirement in March, University President Judith Rodin and Provost Stanley Chodorow set up a committee to evaluate the role of a chaplain at a modern university. The committee, which was chaired by Social Work Professor Jane Lowe, included Barbara Cassel, the assistant vice provost for University life, Reverend Ralph Ciampa, the Pastoral Care director of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, and Assistant to the Provost Linda Koons. Lowe said the group interviewed leaders of Hillel, the Newman Center and the Christian Association, as well as students and faculty. "There was a general consensus that the office of chaplain should continue and that there should be a search undertaken at some point for a new chaplain," she said. The committee recommended the position be maintained and expanded to include work with all of the various campus ministries and groups, Lowe added. "The bottom line is that the position should remain and be expanded to encourage inter-religious and intercultural dialogue," she said. The group submitted its proposal in April, but Chodorow said he and Rodin have not yet decided what the future is for the chaplain's office. And Rodin said they have not even set up a committee to search for a replacement for Johnson. "It's a two-phase project," she explained. "We have the report and we will be moving to appoint a search committee." But Chodorow said it is not unusual for the University to be without a chaplain for the summer. "Reverend Johnson has always spent the summer on Nantucket," he said. Rodin confirmed that there will be an acting chaplain appointed, in accordance with the committee's recommendation. "We've had several volunteers," she said. "There are several people who think they'd really love to do it. "Chaplain Johnson has set a wonderful model and I think a lot of people think it would be a great job as an interim position," she added. Johnson was hired in 1961. During his tenure at the University, Johnson has served primarily as a counselor, spearheading programs for students with questions about their sexuality and dealing with women's issues. The programs are now independent agencies. Johnson also served as dean of admissions from October 1974 until 1977. He said in March that he will be spending his free time traveling, volunteering and pursuing various hobbies.

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