Celebration of Life for Nancy Schrom Dye, 13th President of Oberlin College

A Celebration of Life will be held for Nancy Schrom Dye, Oberlin College's 13th President 

A reception will follow from 6-7 p.m. in the Science Center, Perlik Commons

Nancy Schrom Dye
13th President of Oberlin College

Nancy Schrom Dye served as Oberlin's first and only female president 
from 1994 to 2007. 

President Dye recognized the value of diversity in education and worked tirelessly to enhance diversity in admission through strong partnerships with the Posse Foundation and QuestBridge. She established the Bonner Center for Service and Learning, which coordinates and promotes student service projects and civic engagement. President Dye understood the college's vital role in the community and established the scholarship that allows Oberlin High School students to attend Oberlin College tuition-free. She became a familiar figure in the community, steering her dogs through the campus. 

President Dye was at home in all settings, whether meeting with trustees, chairing faculty meetings, or sitting on the floor with students in residence halls. She avidly attended student activities-athletic events, concerts, plays, and dance programs. 

As president, Nancy spearheaded wide-ranging initiatives 
to rejuvenate the college and the community.  She led a successful capital campaign that raised $175 million, the largest fundraising effort to that date at Oberlin, and oversaw the construction of a $65 million science center and the Adam Joseph Lewis Center for Environmental Studies.

An advocate for concert music, she strengthened the conservatory's international reputation and supported the expansion of the new jazz program. Rebuilding athletics also became a priority. 

President Nancy S. Dye is survived by her husband, Dr. Griffith Dye; their two children, Molly of Lakewood, and Michael (Chuck Miller) and granddaughters Kennedy and Madeline of Evanston, Illinois; and her brother, Michael Schrom, of New York.

Photo courtesy of Griffith Dye