St. John's University inaugurates new president

St. John's University in Collegeville inaugurated its 12th president Thursday afternoon.

Father Robert Koopman has been president of St. John's University since July, but today's inauguration marks the official beginning of his presidency.

Koopman, a native of Waterloo, Iowa, has been a music professor at the College of Saint Benedict and St. John's University since 1975. He's also served on the St. John's Board of Regents for the past four years, and served nine years in a previous term on the board.

Koopman professed as a monk of Saint John's Abbey in 1971 and has been an ordained priest since 1981.

The former president of St. John's University, Brother Deitrich Reinhart, died of a severe form of melanoma, a type of cancer, nearly a year ago.