Peter Dunlap Pelham, 74, former president of Mount Vernon College, passed away on April 27, 2005. The Mount Vernon College, which became the Mount Vernon Campus of The George Washington University in 1999, still bears the stamp of Pelham’s legendary vision and leadership.

During his 15-year tenure, from 1962 to 1977, Pelham transformed Mount Vernon from a girl’s secondary school and two-year junior college into a four-year accredited college for women. He expanded course offerings, reaching a wider range of students, increased fund-raising efforts, began a continuing education program, and developed the 26-acre property.

After serving Mount Vernon, Pelham went on to a notable career as an educator, serving as vice president of the U.S. Institute of International Education and, briefly, as director of the National Aquarium in Baltimore. In 1981, he formed Pelham Associates, a consulting firm designed to link American colleges, schools, and universities with their foreign counterparts.

In 1997, Pelham and his wife formed Global Connections Foundation to provide a forum for educational seminars and cooperative programs among school leaders around the world. The Global Connections network currently includes over 300 schools in 47 countries.

Pelham leaves behind his wife, three children, and five grandchildren. He also leaves behind a legacy preserved in the brown brick buildings, and in the hearts and minds of his former students of Mount Vernon College.