Dear Marietta College Family,

I would like to take a moment and offer each of you my fondest wishes for a pleasant holiday season, and a Happy Thanksgiving. If you are traveling to be with family and friends, please stay safe during your journey. If you are gathering with your loved ones closer to home, I hope it is a memorable experience and you take the opportunity for some rest.

I am thankful, every day, for the opportunities Marietta College offers to our students, faculty, staff, and alumni. It is an honor to work alongside all of you as we make the College, the community and the world a better place. I am also grateful for the impact the College has on our community through special partnerships and as a driving force on the economy.

Over the past 12 months, there have been many reasons to be thankful for at the College. We have experienced enrollment growth while enjoying improved retention rates of our students. We have added key faculty in areas that needed attention, and our veteran professors continue to perform at levels that are unheard of at larger, more renowned universities.

Our recent graduates are finding employment or they are attending a graduate school of their choice to further their education. Marietta’s diverse student body is thriving in the classroom, as well as making an impression through competitions and during internships around the nation. We cannot forget the increased success we are seeing in varsity athletics, including our first seven-win season in football since 1996, the first Ohio Athletic Conference championship for women’s basketball and the first medalist at the women’s OAC Golf Championships.

Within the Marietta family, I want to offer thanks for the tremendous blessings and privileges we receive each day. I am especially grateful for the hard work of our faculty and staff, whose dedication to the College and our students makes our pursuits a reality each day. I greatly appreciate our students, who are committed to learning and developing the skills that are needed to make the world around them a better place.

Lastly, we could not do what we do at Marietta without the humbling generosity of our alumnae and alumni, trustees, dedicated friends and the great residents of the Mid-Ohio Valley in Washington County Ohio and Wood County West Virginia. Thank you for all you do to make Marietta College shine bright.

Thank you, and have a Happy and Safe Holiday Season.

Bring Forth a Pioneer,

William N. Ruud
President