The board of trustees of Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle has chosen Raymond Tymas-Jones as its next president. When, he takes office on July 1, Dr. Tymas-Jones will be the first African American to lead the college.
Cornish College of the Arts offers bachelor of fine arts degrees in art dance, design, film, theater, and other disciplines as well as a bachelor’s degree in music. African Americans make up 3 percent of the 674-member student body, according to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Education.
In accepting the position, Dr. Tymas-Jones said “my goal is to ensure that Cornish’s faculty, staff, and students thrive and excel as artists, innovators, and creatives for the express purpose of impacting the artistic and cultural communities of Seattle and beyond.”
Dr. Tymans-Jones has been serving as associate vice president for the arts at the University of Utah. Previously, he served for 12 years as dean of the College of Fine Arts at the university. Earlier in his career, Dr. Tymas-Jones was dean of the College of Fine Arts at Ohio University and director of the School of Music at the University of Northern Idaho in Cedar Falls.
Dr. Tymas-Jones is a graduate of Howard University in Washington, D.C., where he majored in music. He holds a master’s degree in music and a Ph.D. in performance practice in voice from Washington University in St. Louis.
