Celebrating Clayton

Telling the Story of the Eighth Bates College President, 2012–2023

Explore Clayton's Story
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Future Students

Bates’ unique personality rests on the bedrock values of academic excellence, inclusivity, and social responsibility.

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Academic Programs

A Bates education fosters intellectual inquiry and reflection, personal growth, and a commitment to the world beyond oneself.

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Presidential Announcement

The next Bates president is Garry W. Jenkins, a nationally respected legal scholar, proven higher education leader, and champion of the liberal arts.

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Virtual Campus Tours

Take a virtual tour, learn about admission and financial aid, and speak with current students.

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May 28, 2023

‘Be better. Do better. Be an arc in the bigger circle,’ graduates told at Bates College Commencement

The 157th Bates Commencement saw degrees conferred on 439 Bates seniors and an address by author and scholar J. Drew Lanham — a self-described “bird-loving Black kid” from South Carolina — who spoke about freedom and Benjamin Mays, and called on the graduates “to be better, to do better” and “to be an arc in the bigger circle” that gives power to our freedom.

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