Line of Presidents

About President McCorn Rev. Dr. Lester A. McCorn is described as a transformational leader, scholar, activist, and non-profit executive, with nearly 40 years of leadership experience. A native of Worcester, Massachusetts, he is the 18th President of Paine College in Augusta, Georgia, a private historically Black college (HBCU) founded in 1882 by the United Methodist…

Cheryl Evans Jones, Ph.D. Dr. Cheryl Evans Jones began serving as the 17th President of Paine College in 2019.  Since her tenure as President, Paine College has achieved significant accomplishments including institutional accreditation by the Transnational Association of Christian College and Schools (TRACS), approval to offer distance education by TRACS, approval for participation in Division I…

Jerry L. Hardee B.A., M.Ed., Ed.D., 2017–2019  Jerry L. Hardee served as president of Paine College from 2017 to 2019, a period during which the institution was working to recover from significant financial and accreditation challenges. Prior to his presidency, he held extensive leadership roles in higher education administration, including positions in student affairs, enrollment management, and academic services….

Samuel Sullivan B.S., M.S., Ph.D., 2016–2017   Samuel Sullivan served as president of Paine College from 2014 to 2017 during a particularly challenging period in the institution’s history. Prior to his appointment, he held various administrative roles in higher education, with experience in student services, enrollment management, and academic administration—preparing him to lead during a time of…

George C. Bradley B.A., M.Div., D.Min., 2007–2014  George C. Bradley served as president of Paine College from 2007 to 2014. Prior to his appointment, he held roles in pastoral leadership and church administration, bringing experience in faith-based leadership and community engagement. His background reflected Paine College’s historic ties to its founding denominations, the United Methodist Church and the…

Shirley A.R. Lewis, B.A., M.S.W., Ph.D., 1994-2007  Shirley A. R. Lewis, an educational leader within the United Methodist Church, was elected as the 13th president of Paine College in Augusta, Georgia. Her appointment marked a historic milestone, as she became the first woman to lead the liberal arts institution in its 112-year history. During her presidency,…

Julius S. Scott, B.A, M.S., Ph.D., 1975-1982 and 1988-1994  Dr. Julius S. Scott served as President of Paine College from 1975 to 1982. Following President Harris’s tenure, he was invited to return and accepted a second term as president in 1988, serving until 1994. Dr. Scott’s modernization efforts focused on strengthening academic programs and faculty quality, improving administrative efficiency…

Williams Hamilton Harris, B.A., M.A., Ph.D., 1988-1988  Dr. Harris became President of his alma mater after earning a B.A. from Paine College in 1966. He guided the institution through six years of academic and institutional development. During his tenure, he increased the endowment tenfold—from $500,000 to $5 million—and secured funding for the construction of a new library.

Julius S. Scott, B.A, M.S., Ph.D., 1975-1982 and 1988-1994  Dr. Julius S. Scott served as President of Paine College from 1975 to 1982. Following President Harris’s tenure, he was invited to return and accepted a second term as president in 1988, serving until 1994. Dr. Scott’s modernization efforts focused on strengthening academic programs and faculty quality, improving administrative efficiency…

Lucius Holsey Pitts, A. B., M.A., D.D., 1971-1974  Lucius Pitts, a 1941 graduate of Paine College, returned to his alma mater in 1971 as the first Black president in its 90-year history, following the historic burning of the administration building. During his tenure, Dr. Pitts led a program of campus growth that included an addition…

E. Clayton Calhoun, B. A., B.D., D.D., 1956-1970  Dr. Calhoun provided fourteen years of progressive leadership to the college, following his service as a Methodist minister and a missionary to China. During his tenure, the Diamond Jubilee was celebrated in 1957, and the first institutional self-study was conducted. He championed high admission standards and promoted expanded…

Edmund C. Peters, B. A., B.S.A., M.A., 1929-1956  Mr. Peters became the college’s seventh president in 1929, bringing experience as a high school principal in Louisiana and as a missionary in the Far East. During his administration, Paine College achieved full membership in the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and the curriculum was revised…