Roderick S. French papers

Dr. Roderick S. French served The George Washington University for twenty-eight years as a faculty member and administrator.

Dr. French earned an A.B. in philosophy from Kenyon College, an M.Div. in church history, theology and biblical studies from the Episcopal Theological School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, an S.T.M. in Modern church history from Union Theological Seminary in New York City, and a Ph.D. in American Civilization from The George Washington University. French began his career as the Executive Director of the Youth Department of the World Council of Churches in Geneva (1959-64). He later served as Special Assistant to the Director of the Office of Public Affairs of the Peace Corps from 1967 to 1968.

Dr. French joined The George Washington University as a Ph.D. student in 1968 and was appointed as the Associate Director of the University's Division of Experimental Programs in 1969. He was made director of the Division in 1979, and was responsible for university-wide curricular innovation and academic program development. In 1984 he was made Vice President for Academic Affairs, a position he held until 1995 when he stepped down to work with the University Honors Program. Dr. French left GW in 1997 to become the First Chancellor of the American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. He served as Chancellor Emeritus of the American University of Sharjah, a member of its Board of Trustees, and secretary of the Board of Directors of the AUS-USA Foundation. He retired as Chancellor in the summer of 2002.