James L. Hurley, Ed.D., the University of Pikeville's new president created a unique record by becoming the first alumnus to serve in the school's top administrative position in its 124-year history.
Hurley was officially installed at the Eastern Kentucky Expo Center in Pikeville, Friday. U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Ky., was the keynote speaker of the event.
"Would our founders, Presbyterian ministers with a mission to educate the youth of the mountains, have dreamed of the day when the first alumnus, a son of Eastern Kentucky, would lead the institution," said Terry Dotson, chairman of the university's board of trustees in an official statement. "As our 20th president, Dr. Hurley brings the promise of the founders full circle."
Hurley, who served in various leadership roles at the university since 2009, earned his bachelor's degree from Pikeville College, a master's degree in Educational Leadership from Indiana University, and a doctorate in Higher Education Leadership and Policy at Morehead State University.
The University, established in 1889, is a private, liberal arts campus affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. On July 1, 2011, the school officially changed its name from Pikeville College to the University of Pikeville.
The university spread on 25 acres (10 ha) is home to the Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine, one of three medical schools in the state of Kentucky. It is one of the smallest colleges in the United States to feature a medical school.
The university's intercollegiate athletic teams, called the Bears, are part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics at the NAIA Division I level and participate in the Mid-South Conference
