The Inauguration of
J. Walter Sterling
On February 27, 2026, St. John’s College Santa Fe will install its new president, J. Walter Sterling. President Sterling becomes the 8th Santa Fe president in the campus’ 60-year history and is the first undergraduate alum (Annapolis Class of 1993) and first former dean and faculty member to be appointed as campus president. Together, the St. John’s College community and honored guests will observe the historic occasion with a day of activities and celebration on-campus. The ceremony will be live-streamed.
J. Walter Sterling’s Bio
J. Walter Sterling (A93) was appointed by the Board of Visitors and Governors as the eighth president of St. John’s College Santa Fe in January 2024, beginning his tenure in July 2024. At St. John’s, Sterling has been a member of the teaching faculty since 2003 and recently concluded his second term as dean. He holds a BA from St. John’s, Annapolis, an MA in philosophy from Emory University, and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame. He has taught at Loyola University Maryland, Temple University, and Gwynedd-Mercy University. Sterling is a member of the board and visiting teaching faculty of the Rome Institute of Liberal Arts and serves on the Academic Advisory Council of the Jack Miller Center. He has also worked outside academia supporting mission-driven nonprofits such as Project HOME in Philadelphia.
Directions, Parking and Accommodations
Inauguration activities will be held in the Pritzker Student Center, 1160 Camino de Cruz Blanca, Santa Fe, New Mexico. Parking information will be shared with registered guests as it gets closer to the event. More about the Santa Fe campus.
Schedule of Events
Friday, February 27, 2026
Inauguration Ceremony
4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Pritzker Student Center
This event will be livestreamed. In-person attendance open to invited guests.
Reception
5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Pritzker Student Center
Open to invited guests.
Keynote Event: A Conversation with Shilo Brooks
8 p.m.
Pritzker Student Center
Join alum Shilo Brooks (Annapolis Class of 2006) for a conversation on liberal education, democracy, and his experience reading and teaching Great Books. Shilo Brooks is President and CEO of the George W. Bush Presidential Center and Professor of Practice in the Department of Political Science at SMU. He was previously Executive Director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University, where he taught in the Department of Politics. Open to the St. John’s college community and invited guests. Seating on a first-come, first-served basis. This conversation will be recorded and posted on the college’s YouTube channel on a future date.