Gene Fant is inaugurated as NGU’s eighth president
Lauren Dibble, Staff Writer
Photo courtesy of Mason Freitas.
On Friday, April 13, Gene C. Fant was officially installed as North Greenville University’s eighth president after being in office for 10 months.
Roughly 1,000 people were in attendance in Turner Chapel as the ceremony brought together trustees, faculty, students, staff and alumni, as well as members from over 20 other colleges and universities.
The inauguration took place amidst the university celebrating 125 years since its founding in 1892.
“As we celebrate our 125th Anniversary and we see all that has happened in the past, the one thing I constantly come back to is that the past is always the prelude for the future,” Fant said.
He continued by stating that he wants the institution to claim the optimism of the Gospel and the Christ our culture needs.
NGU Board Chairman Bill Tyler lead the formal investiture by reading off the names of former presidents of the institution. “God had a mission for all these leaders of North Greenville University… God has a mission for Dr. Fant. We’re here this morning to affirm that,” Tyler said.
The president of Trinity International University, David Dockery, began his ceremonial charge by congratulating the board on its wise decision to elect Fant to serve as president. He also spoke on the significance of NGU offering accessibility for students who were not economically privileged.
The ceremony contained a welcome from South Carolina Lieutenant Governor Kevin L. Bryant and John White, co-founder and president of Lifeshape.
Other guest speakers included Toney Parks, senior pastor of Mt. Sinai Baptist Church in Greenville; John Basie, provost of Erskine College and Seminary; and Gary Hollingsworth, executive director, treasurer of the South Carolina Baptist Convention.
NGU’s student government president, Kady Floyd, spoke on the legacy of the university’s past while looking ahead. “There’s something different about this school, something that’s not quite like the others. Here, Christ makes the difference. As we celebrate the past 125 years, we also look forward to the future with much anticipation,” Floyd stated.
