Since Girard College opened its doors in 1848, it has been strictly run by white males. Alexander Dallas Bache, educator, physicist and great-grandson of Benjamin Franklin, was the first president of the 43-acre North Philly school. Stephen Girard, the estate's financier, may now be doing somersaults in his grave, because in his will, Girard restricted admissions to only white-male youth. Now Autumn Adkins, a self-described "black girl from Richmond, Virginia," has been placed at the school's helm.





Adkins is a 37-year-old educator and administrator who held high-level posts at the elite Friends Seminary School in New York and Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C. The young woman was hired last July as the school's 16th president. A Boston-based recruiting firm looked at almost 100 applications before narrowing the pool to 24 candidates for Girard's president position. Of the 24, eight were interviewed once, and four were asked to return. "Autumn came out No. 1 on everyone's list," said Bernard Smalley, who co-chaired the Girard committee that recommended Adkins. "And we had some extremely competent candidates from which to chose."

What big plans does Adkins have in the works for the now nearly all-black, 600-plus institution? Expanding the curriculum, making all facilities up to date and keeping teachers happy by adding a tad more to their paychecks is in the works. Adkins also wants her kids to have an education that is on par with suburban-educated students. Preparing her students for life outside the Girard campus is also a top priority. Even though nearly all of Girard's students are accepted in to college, less than half get a degree in six years, according to school officials.

Although Adkins has a $25 million annual budget, which comes from Girard's estate of investments, the recession has taken a bite out of the trust's value of $309 million. There is now a remaining $204 million, which has put a fire under Adkins to begin an aggressive fund raising effort if she is going to give her students "a true 21st-century education."

"I have been really putting a lot of energy around making school exciting," Adkins said. "It needs to be engaging. I've said to several of my administrators, I don't want teachers wasting kids' time -- they're young. It's just not fair," she tells an Associated Press reporter.

According to the male and female students at the school, Adkins is a breath of fresh air. She speaks to everyone, is very demonstrative -- hugs and handshakes aplenty -- and holds family meals at her house with students as her guests. Everyone seems to feel the vital energy she puts out on campus.

"I've learned an enormous amount from the students. They're interesting, they're thoughtful, they're inquisitive --they deserve the kind of education that complements that," she tells AP.

Regarding his school's new president, one student summed it up best, "First Obama, then Adkins!"