Grand Marshals Announced for Sewanee Fourth of July
Sewanee’s Fourth of July Parade Committee is proud to announce that Rob and Phoebe Pearigen are the Grand Marshals for 2024!
The Pearigen family’s connections to Sewanee run deep. They are no strangers to the community and are the embodiment of EQB motto, “Behold how good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity.”
Rob, C’76, graduated from the University Phi Beta Kappa with a bachelor of arts in political science. At Sewanee, he was a proctor and president of the University’s academic honor society, the Order of the Gown. He earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in political science from Duke University.
Rob returned to Sewanee in 1987 as dean of men and as a member of the political science faculty. Over the next 23 years, he served as dean of students and then as vice president for university relations. He served as the president of Millsaps College from 2010 to 2023. On July 1, 2023, he took office as the 18th vice-chancellor and president of the University of the South.
Phoebe served for years as an adjunct professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance at Sewanee and made significant contributions to dance programs in the community, including founding the Sewanee Conservatory and initiating the student-led dance organization Perpetual Motion. She has degrees from Birmingham-Southern College and Southern Methodist University and currently serves on the board for the USA International Ballet Competition.
The couple’s two children, Carolyn, C’14, and Wes, C’17, are both actively engaged alumni.
Please join us on Thursday, July 4, to celebrate Rob and Phoebe, two of Sewanee’s finest!