W
hen Dr. DiSalvo was selected by the Board of Trustees on April 29, the 10th president announced that he proudly called himself an Anselmian. But at the moment when the presidential chain of office was lifted over his head by Abbot Mark Cooper, O.S.B., chancellor of the college, a new era formally began for Saint Anselm. Several hundred students, alumni, and friends witnessed the historic event. It began with a procession that included the college’s faculty and delegates from 35 other colleges, in full academic regalia. The program would include 10 moving speeches, in addition to the president’s own inaugural address. But first, the crowd watched as 30 men and women, some in uniform, solemnly carried forward in their hands a 30-foot-long American flag. Badly tattered, it is one of the largest flags that flew above Ground Zero. It holds special meaning as a symbol of the strength and resiliency of the American people. The flag has been patched and stitched together by disaster survivors, veterans, and other Americans on its travels throughout the county.
“WE ASK GOD’S CHOICEST BLESSING ON DR. DISALVO TO LEAD US IN PURSUIT OF THE TRUTH, TO ASSIST US ALL IN GROWING IN OUR FAITH, AND TO NOURISH THE IDENTITY OF SAINT ANSELM COLLEGE AS AN INSTITUTION ALWAYS ATTEMPTING TO DIRECT THOSE WHO COME HERE ON THE SUREST PATH TO WISDOM.” - The Right Reverend Mark Cooper, O.S.B., chancellor of the college
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