Thomas H. Powell, 54, assumed the presidency of Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg in 2003 after serving as president of Glenville State College in West Virginia. A native of Long Island, N.Y., Powell earned his bachelor’s degree in special education from the University of Alaska, his master’s in special education from the University of Montana, Billings and his doctorate in special education with an emphasis on children with severe disabilities from Vanderbilt University.

Q What inspired you to focus on special education?

A Our oldest son has autism. I met him working in the field, and my wife and I adopted him. I’ve been an outspoken critic of institutions. We should not have apartheid in America. Instead, we should provide welcoming environments for the most vulnerable among us. How can we include them as full functioning and accepted members of our communities? In the president’s office, I hired Willie Shank, who has Down syndrome. He is a productive member of our office. I always say that if the president’s office can employ Willie, they can work anywhere.

Q How is the school celebrating its bicentennial this year?

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A We are the second-oldest Catholic university in the United States, after Georgetown University. Thomas Jefferson was in the White House when we formed. We are going to have a 14-month celebration with 40 formal events.

Q Is the seminary experiencing a declining enrollment like others across the country?

A This year, we have 165 men studying to be priests, which is up from a decade ago. Maybe 50 years ago we had 200 men, but those days are over. While others are preparing scholars and missionaries, our seminary really focuses on training parish priests who know how to work with parishioners.

Q How has the seminary addressed the scandals involving priests sexually abusing children?

A This is a topic talked about at least weekly if not daily. We don’t shy away from the subject. We have a zero-tolerance attitude and have been open in confronting issues of sexual abuse. Knowing our rector, I’m sure he would be even more emphatic about how important it is to deal with these topics very openly. The men here have a six-year journey to become priests. Some people find that the priest life “is not for me.” That’s good. Now is the time to discover. Our faculty members also counsel people and tell them if they don’t think they should be priests.

Q How are you training priests to prepare for dwindling congregations and growing financial hardships?

A The joke is not so much how you are going to write your homily but how you’re going to fix the toilet afterward. We used to say God will provide, but today we give courses in accounting and the nitty-gritty of running a parish. You need to know about construction and fundraising.

Q What are the advantages of attending a Catholic university, even if you aren’t Catholic?

A Not all of our students are Catholic. In many ways, I don’t want them to be. I’d rather have a rich diversity of faiths. At 18, 19 years old, there is a lot of questioning. We talk a lot about faith and reason coming together on campus, the search for truth. Our hope is that you leave here with a spiritual life and with a sense that there is something bigger out there.

Q What is your “third century of service” ?

A We’re starting a special program that is being funded by an anonymous donor to help inner-city kids from D.C. Many are the first generation to go to college. We will be talking to their families to make sure they graduate. Then the students are then asked to return to the District with majors in business or teacher education to help their communities.

FAST FACTS

» College enrollment: 1,695 undergraduates, 490 graduate students

» Student breakdown: 60 percent female, 40 percent male

» Seminary enrollment: 165

» Unusual degrees offered: Gender studies, theology, environmental science, Latin American studies

» Tuition, room and board: $35,573

» Shrine: Our Lady of Lourdes grotto attracts 140,000 visitors a year

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI

» U.S. Rep. Matthew McHugh of New York

» Susan O’Malley, former president of the NBA’s Washington Wizards and WNBA’s Washington Mystics

» Njuguna Majugu, Kenya’s ambassador to the United Nations

» Scott Newkam, CEO of Hershey Entertainment Corp.

» Most Rev. John Hughes, the first archbishop of New York, built St. Patrick’s Cathedral

» John Cardinal McCloske, first native-born American cardinal

 Source: Mount St. Mary’s

kvolkmann@baltimoreexaminer.com

The Examiner is taking an indepth look at colleges and universities across the state. Click here to read the entire series.