How Larry Arnn Transformed Hillsdale College Over 25 Years

Over the past 25 years, Larry Arnn has transformed Hillsdale College from a respected liberal arts institution into a nationally recognized force in higher education.

The small Michigan college, located about 100 miles southwest of Detroit, is not just a destination for students serious about classical education. Under the leadership of Arnn, he’s built a network of charter schools, launched popular online courses, and improved the college’s academic standards.

It all began in the fall of 2000 when Arnn, whom the college had just hired as president, set foot on campus as its new leader.

Arnn joined Hillsdale after serving as president of the Claremont Institute in California. At the time, he told Hillsdale’s student newspaper, The Collegian, he would aim to “save the nation.” 

Today, 25 years later, the college is on its way to doing just that. Still, Arnn said, change starts small.

“Begin with the fact that I can pretty well navigate the campus, without anybody telling me how to get places,” Arnn told me in a recent email. “Although lately there has been a setback in that regard because the routes keep changing because of construction.”

Arnn moved to rural Michigan with his wife, Penny, and their four children from California in 2000. The weather could be better, he said, but the Midwest is lovely in general.

“We like living in a small town. Penny and I grew up that way,” Arnn said. “The kids did fine in the transition and three of them live here now. Our grandchildren are here. It is easy to get around. Our neighbors are good people. I charge my Cybertruck in the garage and it otherwise requires no attention. My wife is what everyone knows: the best.”

As much as Hillsdale has been a blessing to the Arnns, the town is also a blessing to the college. Arnn often says “college means partnership.” Students don’t come to Hillsdale, Michigan, he said, unless they are serious about what they are doing.

“It is a great advantage for the college to be located here,” Arnn said. “It is cold and rural, so people do not come here for the wrong reason. That means the partnership works.”

And it has. Arnn said that, thanks to a team of great friends at the college, academic standards are higher now than they were when he first arrived, the core curriculum is larger, and the faculty is still dedicated to the mission of the college.

“The departments are more excellent in their fields and in teaching, and they are people to admire. The ones I know best, many, I love,” Arnn said. “Most of us think it is a privilege to be here and act accordingly. That is, perhaps, the most important thing.”

Since Arnn arrived, Hillsdale has also garnered national attention through its online courses and charter schools. Arnn said this is among the most valuable developments during his time.

The campus itself has changed, too. Arnn said he thinks it has changed for the better thanks to the faithful service of the administration.

“We cooperate, work hard, and tell the truth. That is very satisfying,” Arnn said.

Rich Péwé, Hillsdale’s chief administrative officer, has been a member of the administration since 1999 and has overseen many of the projects that have taken shape since Arnn became president in 2000, including the construction on campus today. The college has improved in every measurable way since 2000, Péwé said.

“Dr. Arnn’s motto is, “Do the same thing over again only better,’” Péwé said. “Because he holds to that, Hillsdale is now a serious and difficult to get into Christian, liberal arts college, dedicated to the preservation of truth and to being the best college in the country for teaching the kinds of things that makes a free society possible.”

Arnn himself teaches what he calls “the fundamentals.”

“They are the best things to know,” he said. “I have learned something about them and maybe helped others to learn.”

Though, of course, he said if he could teach one thing, it would be Aristotle.

He also said he has noticed changes in his students—their demeanor, habits, and stature.

“Success rates of the students both coming in and going out are higher. They are smarter and more dutiful. They are fun, and they work, and one learns from them,” Arnn said. “Aristotle writes that nature tries to put good souls in good bodies, and I think the students are taller and even better looking, meaning no slight to alumni.”

Senior Mary Ellen Petersen grew up in Hillsdale, attended events at Broadlawn from the time she was a toddler, and studied Churchill under Arnn last spring. “I had an amazing time in class Dr. Arnn last semester,” Petersen said. “Growing up I went to Broadlawn every New Year’s and it was really cool to see both sides of Dr. Arnn last year.”

Arnn has watched the years pass on the faces of his students. That shows the product of the college and, hopefully, its future.

“We are getting the children of people I had in class back in the day,” Arnn said. “That makes one proud and also makes one think about time.”

The college has undergone a metamorphosis during Arnn’s tenure, and those close to the college said they hope Hillsdale’s mission continues. Luckily, Arnn said his career is not on any specific timeline.

“My arrangement with my bosses is that I will do the job as long as I am the best one to do it. I have some things to accomplish that will take a few years if the Lord gives me the time,” Arnn said. “They are all extensions of what my wife and I set out to do 25 years ago.”

A version of this article was originally published by The Collegian.

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