Jon Parrish Peede, Ashland University’s newest president, derives from a creative background, crediting books and art for his visionary personality.  

Growing up near the capital of Mississippi, Peede looked up to his parents who both held jobs in medicine. He thought his path was set up for him to become a doctor but soon realized he was drawn to literature.  

Early jobs 

“As a young person I was always very involved with creativity. I was always passionate about reading, learning – I didn’t know how that shaped as a career,” said Peede. “I realized I was meant to write and edit others.” 

From here, Peede’s career evolved from running publications, working at universities, freelance writing, reviewing books, writing magazine copy and editing books. Peede has also written for newspapers and held the title of newspaper advisor in his early career. He has written a hundred of his own pieces throughout the years and has published memoirs. During his early career, Peede also funded universities, museums and libraries.  

Before coming to AU, Peede taught undergraduate and graduate students and consulted for a museum in Vietnam focusing on landmines and Agent Orange. He also spoke on issues pertaining to civics and the first amendment in London. He said his largest position has been being the chair of the national endowment for the humanities from 2018 to 2021.  

“For me, it’s bringing both backgrounds together – that experience as a classroom professor and that large, complicated job of running a federal agency,” said Peede. “What I like about being the president is that it brings all of that together.” 

Family Life 

Peede met his wife, Rev. Nancy Hollomon-Peede while working as a book editor at Mercer University in the 1990s. Peede explained that they met over reading the same book. The couple was reading, The Razor’s Edge by W. Somerset Maugham. Having shared this book while they were in their first moments of getting to know each other, the author’s name grew in importance in Nancy and Jon’s life. 

“Nancy and I have one daughter, Somerset,” said Peede. “When we had our daughter, we just knew Somerset would be the name.”  

Hollomon-Peede is an ordained minister and has been welcomed by AU’s seminary. Peede explained that this is just the start of the welcoming greetings he and his family have received since he became president. 

Peede expresses gratitude to his transition committee for helping his passage into becoming president happen with ease. Some specific names he mentioned were Catherine Williams, assistant provost, Shawn Orr, dean of eAshland, and Jim Hess, chair of The Board of Trustees. Peede said it’s amazing how many texts, prayers and warm welcomes he has received since beginning in Ashland.  

Vision and Goals 

At the All-Institutional Meeting on Aug. 20, Peede spoke to faculty members, beginning with a poem he selected titled, The Writer by Richard Wilbur.  

Peede said, “I think it’s important for the president to let the faculty members know that the academic life is part of my life too – that I’m still intellectually curious as a reader, as a scholar . . .  Richard Wilbur’s poem, The Writer, really captured this idea of watching creation happen.” 

He added that this poem reminds him of how it feels to be an educator and watch students in moments of struggle and discovery in the classroom.  

This fall semester, his goal is to connect with the Ashland community and the campus. Peede plans to take part in any class, organization and event he can. 

When speaking on his plans he said, “It might be getting permission from a professor to sit in on a lecture. . . It would be wonderful to be in that space and just see how our students come to frame all their work.”  

Peede looks forward to having students on campus in the coming week, connecting with faculty and staff and beginning a new fall semester.