Reverend Joseph E. Kurtz, D.D. Bishop | Archdiocese of Louisville

Reflecting on two decades of service to Spalding University, Tori Murden McClure said she is retiring with pride in the university’s growth and confidence in its future. McClure retired as president of Spalding at the end of June. She served at the school, founded by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth in 1814, since 2004. Her presidency began in 2010.

McClure emphasized that Spalding's achievements are a collective effort. “I’ve been lucky to work with dedicated folks who care about the mission. It’s driven by a unity of spirit. You can’t make a transformation like this by yourself,” she said. “I look at what’s left to do instead of where we came from, but if I pause and look at where we came from, it’s crazy.”

In 2004, when McClure joined Spalding as vice president of external relations, enrollment management, and student affairs, the school was facing a financial crisis with millions of dollars in debt. Under her presidency, Spalding paid off $16 million in debt and grew its endowment from $7 million to more than $30 million. The campus also nearly doubled in size, adding nine buildings and creating 12 acres of green space, including a 7.4-acre Legacy Fields athletic complex located a few blocks west of Spalding.

“To be proud of money is not who I am,” McClure said in an interview in late June. What is important, she noted, is “the freedom to not be in debt.”

McClure acknowledged the challenges faced during her tenure as president. “There were many moments when I thought we wouldn’t make it,” she said. “I’m very proud of what Spalding has achieved and what it is. I feel such joy about that.”

McClure believes education is essential for addressing societal issues and invested heavily in her own education credentials: a master’s degree in writing from Spalding (2005), a juris doctor from the University of Louisville’s School of Law (1995), a Master of Divinity degree from Harvard University (1998), and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Smith College (1985).

“It’s how you counter all the ills of the world,” said McClure regarding education.

During her presidency, McClure expanded academic offerings at Spalding. In 2018, the university launched its criminal justice studies program focusing on restorative justice; in 2020, it introduced doctoral degrees in social work and master’s degrees in clinical mental health counseling.

McClure aimed to address systemic issues within education that could lead to incarceration—a goal she believes Spalding has made significant strides towards achieving.

“We educate the people working in the prison system," she stated. "We educate those working with individuals struggling with addiction and train teachers who support students with traumatic backgrounds."

As Spalding's first non-Catholic president—raised Presbyterian—McClure initially struggled with accepting her role due to concerns about moral correctness but found respect for Catholic traditions vital during her tenure.

“In some ways because I’m not Catholic," she explained, "I’ve been extra respectful of the Catholic tradition and history."

Her connection with the Sisters of Charity played a crucial role throughout her presidency.

“I read their history and liked them... they would have liked me,” she remarked.

The search for Spalding’s next president is underway; Dr. Joanne Berryman will serve as interim president until then.

In retirement, McClure plans to explore new interests encouraged by her husband Charles King McClure III.

“Whatever is next," she concluded during her retirement address on May 30th, "I want to learn to sail... spend more time with friends."

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