When looking at the legacies of past presidents, it’s clear that George Bridges’s successor will arrive on campus to a scene much changed since Alexander Anderson became Whitman’s first president in 1882.

Louis Perry, Whitman’s eighth president, passed away at age 95 in Washington Odd Fellow’s Home on Sept. 8, 2013. During his time as president, Perry greatly increased the college's asset base and endowment. His legacy lives on in the form of the the Louis B. Perry Summer Student-Faculty Research Endowment, as well as other significant community projects.

Over the past three weeks, a team of Pioneer reporters has been working to shed light on the circumstances leading up to Jim Hanson’s decision to step down from his position as Director of Forensics. Our reporting included dozens of interviews, both on and off the record, with current debate students, administrators, faculty, trustees and college and debate alumni. Since Hanson’s announcement, rumors and pieces of information about the reasons Hanson stepped down have been circulating throughout campus and the wider debate community. We hoped to be able to add a more thoroughly researched version of events as soon as possible following his announcement, but we also felt it was important to confirm stories and take the time required to present information from every possible angle.

Disclaimer: The name of the student charged with these offenses was removed from this article on Oct. 22, 2020 and replaced with "Philip Forest." The original charges were vacated from his record five...

On the Whitman campus, Whitman ID cards are both credit card and key. One swipe can allow access to dorms and other campus buildings, authorize purchases to a Student Account, charge meals or flex dollars from a Bon Appétit meal plan and check out materials from the library. In the aftermath of recent security breaches around campus and the arrest of senior Simon Van Neste on Thursday October 24, Chief Information Officer Dan Terrio sent an email to Whitman staff, faculty and students regarding the need for changes to the current swipe card system. At this time, Van Neste has not been formally charged with a crime.