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Charles Paul Conn
Charles Paul Conn (born December 23, 1945) is Chancellor and President of Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee. Conn became president of Lee University in 1986 and announced retirement in 2019. He retired in 2020 to become chancellor.[1] He was the longest serving CEO of any college or university in Tennessee history.[2] Conn returned as the school's interim president for the 2024-2025 academic year.[3] EducationConn acquired his undergraduate degree in religion from Lee University (then Lee College) in 1967.[4] He received an M.A. and a Ph.D. in psychology from Emory University (Atlanta, GA) and subsequently went on to spend eight semesters in post-doctoral study at Harvard University (Boston, Mass.) in the Graduate School of Education. He was a visiting scholar at Harvard Divinity School in 1982.[5] Conn's father, Charles William Conn, was Lee University's 15th president. CareerConn began his career at Lee College in 1971, and was appointed as a professor in the psychology faculty and chair of the Department of Behavioral Sciences.[4] He was appointed Vice President of Institutional Advancement in 1984 and President of Lee College (now Lee University) in 1986. He continues teaching in the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, and served a term as Visiting Professor of Psychology at Appalachian State University.[5] Conn has served on the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, holding positions as commissioner, member of the Executive Committee, and member of the Appeals Committee. He served from 2007 to 2010 on the national board of directors of the Council of Independent Colleges. He has also held positions with the Appalachian College Association, the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, the Southern States Athletic Conference, and the Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association.[5]  The number of undergraduate degree programs offered by Lee quadrupled under Conn's leadership.[4] In 1986 the college offered 22 programs of undergraduate study; by 2020 the number was 159.[6] The college became a university, offering master and doctoral programs for the first time. The school's hallmark service learning and global perspectives initiatives launched during his tenure.[4] Enrollment quintupled from 1,000 to 5,000 students and the campus expanded from 22 acres to 120.[7][8] Conn convinced the city council to close part of Church Street, establishing a central pedestrian mall on campus.[9] More than 30 campus buildings were constructed during his tenure, including the Dixon Center theater, DeVos Recreation Center, Curtsinger Music Building, Deacon Jones Dining Hall, Helen DeVos College of Education, Center for the Humanities, School of Religion, Science and Math Complex, Communications Building, School of Nursing, and chapel. The Paul Conn Student Union built in 2000 was named in his honor.[7] The campus received more than $200 million in improvements during his tenure and more than 12 new sports were offered at the scholarship level. The school's endowment increased from $2 million to more than $20 million during Conn's time in office.[6] Conn retired in 2020 after serving 34 years as Lee's president.[10] When his successor, Dr. Mark Walker, resigned in 2024, the university announced that Conn would return to lead the school again for the 2024-2025 school year.[3] Conn was once urged by the chairman of the Tennessee Democratic Party to run for governor against an incumbent Republican, according to an interview in the school newspaper, the Lee Clarion. Conn declined. He described himself as an independent centrist.[11] Writing careerConn has authored or co-authored 20 books. Three were adapted for TV and four were listed on the New York Times Best Seller list.[4]
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