Rebecca Chopp

Rebecca Chopp
18th Chancellor of University of Denver
In office 2014–2019
Preceded by	Robert Coombe
Succeeded by	Jeremy Haefner
14th President of Swarthmore College
In office 2009–2014
Preceded by	Alfred Bloom
Succeeded by	Valerie Smith
15th President of Colgate University
In office 2002–2009
Preceded by	Charles Karelis
Succeeded by	Jeffrey Herbst
Personal details
Born	1952 Kansas, United States
Spouse	Frederick Thibodeau
Children	3 Sons
Education	Kansas Wesleyan University (BA) St. Paul School of Theology (M.Div.) University of Chicago (Ph.D.)

Rebecca S. Chopp was the 18th chancellor of the University of Denver, and the first female chancellor in the institution's history. Chopp is a former president of Swarthmore College and Colgate University.

Biography

Chopp received her B.A. from Kansas Wesleyan University, a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) from St. Paul School of Theology and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. Before Swarthmore, Chopp was the president of Colgate University. Before arriving at Colgate in 2002, Chopp was Dean and Titus Street Professor of Theology at Yale Divinity School. She spent fifteen years at Emory University before her tenure at Yale.

Chopp's research focuses on religion and American culture, but she has also written about the culture of higher education and the liberal arts in a democratic society.

Chopp was also one of more than 100 college presidents in the United States to call for the drinking age to be lowered.

In June 2014, she announced her decision to accept the position of chancellor of the University of Denver, citing her desire to live in Denver as one of the reasons for leaving Swarthmore. In the summer of 2019, Chancellor Chopp resigned because of health problems.

Sources

• Swarthmore College's 14th President - Biography [1]
• Rebecca Chopp, President-Designate: First Words [2]