In 1987, P. Kyle McCarter, Jr. became President of ASOR. A few years earlier, McCarter had been appointed to the distinguished position of William Foxwell Albright Professor of Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. McCarter’s election as President, along with Gibbs’ election as Treasurer, coincided with Chairman Thompson’s efforts to move ASOR’s headquarters from Philadelphia to Baltimore. The Johns Hopkins administration pledged to help provide space near its Homewood campus.

In July 1988, with financial support from the Mercantile Trust Company, McCarter established administrative offices in The Rotunda, adjacent to the Johns Hopkins University Press, which by then was handling most of ASOR’s publications. McCarter quickly assembled a new office staff. However, his term faced significant financial and administrative challenges. The growth of overseas affiliates continued to strain ASOR’s resources, limiting its ability to provide them with adequate operational support. Meanwhile, the administrative office became overwhelmed with paperwork as final reports on federal grant commitments came due. Despite these challenges, McCarter began his presidency with great energy and optimism.

IMAGE: The Baltimore office staff (left to right back row): Executive Director, Susan Foster Krombholz, Administrative Assistant Pam Turner, Kathryn Gould as Accountant, Debra Katz as Administrator of Academic Exchange Services, and Mark Gallagher, Administrator of Grants and Fellowships.