Oral History Interview with Mr. Jack Rich

Authors

Jack Rich
Wenxian Zhang, Rollins CollegeFollow

Document Type

Oral History

Publication Date

6-23-2005

Biography

Jack Rich came to Rollins in 1934 as a student and returned in 1949 as the Director of Admissions. During the fourteen years he served Rollins College in admissions, Rich helped raise the quality, quantity, and diversity of students accepted to Rollins, in addition to teaching history courses.

Born on January 27, 1916, John Oliver Rich grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. Rich graduated from Rollins with an A.B. in 1938, and in 1949 received his Master of Arts degree in Education and in European History from Johns Hopkins University. He also completed summer studies at Cambridge University in England, Columbia University in New York, and the Sorbonne in Paris. Between 1942 and 1946, Rich served as a United States Naval Aviation Intelligence Instructor, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Commander.

Before returning to Rollins, Rich taught at the American School of Paris and was the head counselor of the MacJannet Summer Camps. He specializes in student counseling, vocational guidance, international relations, and is considered an authority on European schools, preferring work with foreign exchange students.

In 1958, Rich was awarded the Fulbright Professor of English at Athens College, Greece, where he instructed students in the English language and American history. Then in 1960, Rich was recognized as the first Dean of Admissions, a title he held until his retirement in 1963. From there, he founded and became the director of the Educational Counseling Service, a government approved nonprofit educational corporation since 1964. Rich also served as the chairman of the American College Board Conference in 1966 and helped found the Independent Educational Consultants Association in 1976. The title of Dean of Admissions Emeritus was bestowed upon Rich in 1997, as well as the prestigious George Morgan Ward Medal in 2002.

Rich has been a member of such groups as the Faculty Committee on Admissions; Academic Standing and Scholarship and Financial Aid; the Board of Trustees of the Winter Park Memorial Hospital; the Book-A-Year Program; Phi Delta Kappa; the Professional Association of Educators; and Pi Gamma Mu, the international honor society in social science.

Recommended Citation

Rich, Jack and Zhang, Wenxian, "Oral History Interview with Mr. Jack Rich" (2005). Oral Histories. 27.
https://scholarship.rollins.edu/oralhist/27