When I heard about your election to Carleton’s presidency, I was overjoyed. For you are a Wellesley alumna, and I have been teaching there since 1976 in the Religion Department. I helped develop East Asian Studies, Asian American Studies and participate in Peace Studies.
When you attended Wellesley, I was already teaching there. Everything I have done since graduating from Carleton in 1969, I owe it to Carleton, especially Dacie Moses and Bardwell Smith. I am sure you know of their legacy by now. Before Wellesley, I taught for 3 years at Oberlin. I thought it would be just like Carleton, but wasn’t, because I was too immature to appreciate Oberlin’s wonderful history as the first college to educate women, i.e. before the first women’s college, Mt Holyoke.
I join all those who will be rooting for you as President of our alma mater. I hope I will have a chance to meet you someday, perhaps at our 55th Reunion
Jim Kodera (Takashi to Carleton friends) ’69