VISION
University’s sixth president declares ‘The world needs more Campbell’ to cap a memorable Inauguration Week
By Billy Liggett
Photos by Lissa Gotwals, Zach Berly and Bennett Scarborough
A Week to Remember | It’s Good to Be Home | Renewal, Growth & Recognition
Dr. William M. Downs called for Campbell to rededicate itself to a “powerful and world-changing mission” on the day he was formally invested and sworn in as just the sixth president in the University’s 139-year history on March 27.
More than 1,600 delegates, faculty, staff, students, community members, family and friends were on hand for the Investiture Ceremony held on the floor of Gore Arena inside Campbell’s Pope Convocation Center. The event capped six days of build up for Inauguration Week in the form of a worship program, academic lecture, student research symposium, dedication ceremony for the campus’ 300-year-old oak tree, day of service and campus-wide cookout.
The week celebrated both the storied past of Campbell, as well as its current mission and exciting future. In his 34-minute speech, Downs echoed the school’s second president, Leslie H. Campbell, saying the University’s future demands “our wholehearted endeavor.”
“Ours is a world filled with uncertainty,” he said, referencing a current war, global financial instability, pandemic recovery, declining trust in institutions of higher education and falling membership in churches. “Some question the very value of a college education. Artificial intelligence causes us to question what we see, what we read and what we once thought we could understand as the truth. Social media has, without a doubt, dumbed down our national discourse. These are challenging times, my friends.
“So in a world filled with uncertainty, let Campbell University be the answer. Let Campbell be a beacon that will guide us safely through it. Campbell will be the answer, because Campbell truly is special.”
Downs’ investiture ceremony came nearly nine months after his arrival in Buies Creek on July 1. Prior to coming to Campbell, he was the 13th president of Gardner-Webb University, leading that school through the COVID pandemic and a devastating hurricane while advancing academics, athletics and student life and spearheading major capital projects. Before becoming a university president, he was dean of the Thomas Harriot College of Arts & Sciences at East Carolina University and served a number of roles at Georgia State University.
Former ECU Provost Dr. Ron Mitchelson was among the seven speakers who delivered greetings prior to Downs’ investiture speech. He summarized Downs’ five years of service in Greenville by calling him the school’s “most popular and most effective dean.”
“As a leader, your new president checks all the boxes,” Mitchelson said. “He is courageous. He is authentic. He is intentional in all that he does, and he holds himself accountable. He has a keen ability to visualize success and to find pathways to get there. Your new president is accessible, and he is approachable. But perhaps above all else, he is a highly engaged leader … and I believe President Downs’ level of meaningful engagement is quite rare today among university administrators.”
In his short time at Campbell, Downs has been productive. His tenure began with a speaking tour that included stops in Charlotte, Raleigh, Winston-Salem, Wilmington and back home in Buies Creek. He hosted three town hall meetings on campus dedicated to laying the groundwork of a five-year strategic plan. He initiated meetings and guided tours with every dean and nearly every program on campus. Early actions included immediate improvements to the student experience on campus, a new staff appreciation awards program, new admissions initiatives at both the undergraduate and graduate level and a record-breaking Giving Day last fall.
In February, Campbell University unveiled Downs’ Day 1 promise: Campbell University 2026-2031: A Strategic Plan for Renewal, Growth and Recognition, which was unanimously approved by the Board of Trustees on Jan. 28. The priorities of the plan focus on enrollment growth, financial strength, community impact and identity — the same priorities Downs said were communicated to him during the interview process before becoming Campbell’s president. Downs lauded the plan during his inauguration speech.
“We’re most excited to have the audacity to dream big about Campbell’s future and to have the determination to deliver on those dreams,” Downs said. “Having completed a strategic plan, we’re now busy addressing the fact that our master plan for the university’s physical space is more than 22 years old. A strategic plan, a master plan, a comprehensive fundraising campaign — there’s your holy trinity for getting us moving in the right direction.”
Campbell graduate and Chair of the Board of Trustees Gene Lewis III — who led the Presidential Search Committee that landed Downs — called his investiture ceremony a historic day, as it was only the fifth transfer of power in the University’s long and storied history.
“President Downs joins a legacy that only five men lived first,” Lewis said. “All profound leaders, strong men of God, courageous and passionate in their support of our beloved Campbell. We are eternally grateful to each of them and their leadership. … Today we celebrate history, a legacy and a very bright future.”
North Carolina Secretary of State and 1981 Campbell Law graduate Elaine Marshall shared how Campbell changed her life and opened doors that she didn’t know existed, setting her on the path of “purpose, service and leadership.” She called the ceremony a “pivotal chapter” in Campbell’s story and a moment where the community can tell its new president that “we believe in you, we’re counting on you and we are ready to follow where you lead.”
“To the students here today, you are the reason this moment matters,” Marshall said. “You will learn in classrooms shaped by this leadership and be mentored by faculty supported by his vision and carry forward his legacy. Leadership does not happen alone. It happens through those who teach, guide and invest in students every day. And to my fellow trustees, we share the responsibility to support this mission and ensure Campbell’s strength for generations to come.”
Associate Professor of New Testament Dr. Thomas P. Dixon referenced a Bible verse, 1 Thessalonians 5, where Paul deals with authority he never asked for; authority that led to a lot of suffering and objection.
“He says, ‘Brothers and sisters, respect those who labor among you and are over you in the world,’” Dixon shared. “I hope we can commit to respecting President Downs as he labors among us … honoring the office and calling that God has given him.”
Downs ended his speech with a familiar refrain, one that he used during tour stops and at various gatherings with faculty and staff — the world needs more Campbell.
“I’m going to say it again because I truly, truly believe it. I believe that the world we live in today needs more Campbell doctors and more Campbell nurses, physician assistants, pharmacists, and healthcare professionals. We need more Campbell teachers, mental health counselors and pastors. Let them be the solution to a society that desperately needs healers and uniters and peacemakers. Our world needs more Campbell … and it is our plan, it is our purpose and it is our promise to meet that need.
“At Campbell University, we will not be outworked by anyone as we set out to become America’s next great higher education success story.”
A Family Affair
Dr. Rachel Downs Oglesby, daughter of President Downs and First Lady Kimberly Downs, could not be in attendance for the ceremony, but for very good reason. She was expecting her first child — the Downs’ second grandchild — at any moment.
“If Kim gets up and walks out [mid ceremony], that is why,” the president joked during his speech.
She did not have to leave, and the Downs’ second grandchild, Holden James, would enter the world six days later.
Kimberly Downs has been a visible asset to the president during his first 10 months on campus. The couple met as 10-year-old kids in Raleigh, and Downs said their journey has taken them from Raleigh to Atlanta, Brussels to Belgium and Denmark, Massachusetts to Atlanta, Greenville to Boiling Springs and now Buies Creek.
“For the first time in 36 years, honey, we’re back home, and, oh, doesn’t it feel good,” Downs said. “I have said over and over since I arrived here that Kim is the better part of the package that Campbell got when they hired me. And so far, nobody — nobody — has disagreed.”
One of the seven speakers who took the stage prior to the investiture shared a last name with the Man of the Hour. Dr. Alan Downs, an associate professor of history at Georgia Southern University, older brother of the president and husband to Campbell alumna Judi Downs, called the ceremony a “profound honor” for the family.
“It’s a special joy to see my little brother honored in this way,” he said. “I have seen his work ethic, his deep sense of calling and his genuine care for people — qualities that make this moment not only fitting, but deeply deserved. We have seen firsthand his dedication to faith, scholarship and service — values that reflect the very heart of Campbell’s mission.”
Also in attendance at the ceremony was their sister, Suzanne Grimes, and their 97-year-old father, Dr. Murray Downs, a U.S. Army veteran who spent his entire post-military career in higher education as a scholar, teacher and academic leader, much of it at NC State University.
“Thank you, dad, for making this the family business,” President Downs said during his speech. “My mom taught English at NC State for decades, and though she passed away eight years ago, I know she is here with me today. That is a great, great inspiration.”
Students show up big
Asked by Gene Lewis in the moments leading up to his ceremony what he hoped for most out of the day, Downs said he wanted to see a lot of students in attendance.
“I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised,” Lewis said with a smile.
Hundreds of Campbell students were in the seats for Downs’ big day inside Pope Convocation Center — the president joked that they could have picked anywhere else to be on a warm spring Friday with no classes that afternoon.
“This must have been some serious extra credit,” he said with a laugh. “But whatever got you here today, I will repeat the commitment that I made the day I was first named president. You, our students, are our most important constituents. You are our No. 1 priority. You are the reason that we will scrap and fight and claw to strengthen this university every day during my administration, just as those before us have done for 139 years. You, my friends, are our reason to be.”
If Downs was happy with the inside turnout, he was in awe of those who awaited outside to greet him post-ceremony. Hundreds more formed a line from the convocation center to the Oscar N. Harris Student Union, holding signs, pennants and banners congratulating the president and First Lady as they paraded through the line on the back of a golf cart.
Upon seeing the crowd, Downs mouthed the word “Wow” repeatedly.
Daphne Dew, a senior English major, called the day “exciting” and said she wanted to be there for Downs, because he’s been there for students since July. “Dr. Downs has been so involved in the student community, and so getting to see him talk about his plans for the remainder of his service here is really exciting,” she said.
Freshman engineering major Lucas Honan said he attended because it was a big, historic day, and he has enjoyed hearing the president talk about upcoming capital improvement plans. “I really want to see what the plans are for the School of Engineering, so all of this sparks my interest, of course,” he said.
Student Body President Cutler Bryant represented helped introduce Downs on stage during the investiture ceremony, and he applauded the president’s commitment to hearing what he and his classmates have to say.
“On his first day in office, Dr. Downs sought out time to meet with me and other student leaders. This was not just a meet-and-greet photo opportunity. It was a meaningful, hour-long constructive conversation about the student experience at Campbell University. We spoke candidly about what it means to be a student here — our challenges, our opportunities and our hopes for the future,” Bryan said.
“What stood out to me the most and what still stands out to me today was that he not only listened to those concerns, but those conversations did not end in the room. In the weeks, and the months since, we have already begun to see the results of those conversations. So on behalf of the undergraduate student life, I want to say that we are excited, we are vocal, and we are ready for this new chapter in life of Campbell University.”