Interview with Reverend Traynham
Reverend Warner Traynham ’57 has a unique perspective on Dartmouth College. Few people have experienced Dartmouth the way he has, as a Black student in the 1950s under President Dickey and as a member of administration in the 1970s and 1980s under both President Kemeny and President McLaughlin. Rev. Traynham’s thirteen years of experience as a Black member of Dartmouth’s community provide him with great insights on the College’s institutional legacy for change, diversity, and inclusion.
As a student, Rev. Traynham majored in Philosophy and graduated Phi Beta Kappa. He was an active member of the Dartmouth Christian Union, the Dartmouth Players, and the fraternity Tau Epsilon Phi. When he entered Dartmouth, Traynham was only one of four Black students in his class. After graduation, Traynham became an Episcopal Priest, which was his goal upon entering college as a freshman. After serving in the ministry in various parts of the county, Traynham returned to Dartmouth in 1974 to serve as the dean of the Tucker Foundation and chaplain of the College. He remained in these posts for nine years before moving to Los Angeles in 1983, where he continues to live today.
You can listen to or read the transcript of our conversation here on this page.
