This past month, Colonel James A. Knowlton was named director of athletics at Rensselaer. President Shirley Ann Jackson and Vice President for Student Life Eddie Ade Knowles presented Knowlton to the RPI community at a celebratory introduction held in the Mueller Center lobby on December 11.
Knowlton, a senior administrator and officer at the Unites States Military Academy, will join the Institute in March after he is released from his commitment to the Army. He will replace former Athletic Director Ken Ralph, who joined Colorado College as athletic director last August. Knowlton said he “could not be more excited about joining the Rensselaer team.”
Knowlton will oversee the Institute’s 12 men’s and 11 women’s NCAA intercollegiate varsity teams, as well as its three junior varsity teams which together encompasses more than 600 students. Knowlton stated, “The more I researched Rensselaer, the more I realized it was a perfect fit.”
During his introduction conference, Knowlton acknowledged the construction of the East Campus Athletic Village, noting “the positive change going on here is incredible,” adding that he “couldn’t ask for a better time to join the Institute.”
Sports Information Director Kevin Beattie stepped in as acting athletic director after Ralph’s resignation. Beattie explained the positive impact Knowlton will have on the athletic department, “[Knowlton] brings a wealth of experience that will inevitably enhance the department’s high level of expertise and professionalism. Personally, I am excited by the opportunity to learn from Jim’s knowledge and leadership.”
Beattie applied for the full-time position and will remain as acting athletic director until Knowlton joins Rensselaer. A total of six candidates were interviewed on campus for the position, three of whom were personally interviewed by Jackson.
As director of the Center for Enhanced Performance at the United States Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., Knowlton leads a staff of professionals who train cadets, soldiers, and athletes to achieve peak performance in athletics, academics, and military pursuits. “Knowlton’s passion for developing the whole student makes him the perfect choice for leading the athletics program at Rensselaer,” Jackson stated at the ceremony in December.
From 2003 to 2006, Knowlton served as both the deputy and interim director for the athletics department at West Point. These roles led him to command a staff of over 200 and supervise 25 intercollegiate athletic programs while there, which were comprised of over 1,000 student athletes. During his time as athletic director, West Point earned its first NCAA championship in over 50 years.
In addition to his roles at West Point, Knowlton serves as chair of the NCAA Hockey Rules Committee, where he leads Division I and II coaches and administrators during the annual rule-development process. Knowlton was a four-year letter-winner and captain of the varsity hockey team during his senior year at West Point, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering in 1982.
After receiving his degree from West Point, Knowlton served 10 years in the United States Army, holding leadership positions of greater responsibility, and received a master’s degree in civil engineering from Cornell University.
In 1992, Knowlton returned to West Point to teach in the Civil and Mechanical Engineering Department, after which he was selected to lead and manage larger organizations within the Army. This position placed Knowlton as leader of a battalion of 750 men and women while stationed in Fort Carson, Jackson and Knowles both cited this experience in directing young men and women as an asset to his ability to head the athletics department at RPI.
Knowlton has won many honors during his military career, and is a registered Professional Engineer in the state of Virginia.
