In an article “Fry to Drexel”, a sub heading reads “Franklin & Marshall College’s president of 8 years says he leaves the school ‘well positioned for the future.’”

WATCHDOG: As we recently described, “Fry did the best possible things in the worse possible ways.” His tenure was a wave of terror for the institution.

Representative was his standing on the lawn of his residence watching his bully security force throw non-resistant Ron Harper to the ground across the street. Harper (and companion Chris Hart-Nibbrig) had done nothing to justify detainment or the brutal action. They were never charged. We hope Harper sues Fry and F&M.

When NewsLanc publisher asked Fry to justify his action, Fry said “Ron Harper owns a gun.” Owns a gun? There are probably three times as many guns in the county as people. Harper’s weapons are his tongue, his pen and, of course, his video camera. Otherwise, Harper is a pussy cat!

The whole matter had to do with reporter Harper going to Fry’s home in the evening seeking an interview, a time-honored journalistic practice. It is hard to describe Fry’s subsequent actions other than ‘paranoid’ when days later Harper happened to be in the right-of-way in front of Fry’s residence to locate a circulation box.

(Under Fry, scores of people were sent letters threatening their arrest if they set foot on F&M’s campus, a bogus and deceitful practice.)

Despite having an honorary Franklin & Marshall Alumni Building membership, the Watchdog has not set foot on F&M’s campus without an invitation since the incident. He is aware that friends on the campus are afraid to even be in contact with him less they engender Fry’s wrath. Faculty members and others employees keep their thoughts to themselves.

How Fry treated CAARRT neighbors, who had the temerity of asking if there could be an alternate and better location for relocating the rail yard, was brutal and heartless. Whoever is his successor needs to clean house or scrub the brains of staff and the public relations department so that they prize accuracy and decency over spin.

Worse yet, Fry infected the leadership of Lancaster General Health just as Dale High did with the leadership at the Lancaster Newspapers.

Yes, John Fry has done some good things as president of F&M. But, our sentiment was summarized by the first contributor comment we received…“good riddance.”

We wish Fry well in his new position. He will likely do a good job at Drexel for a few years. Moreover, he will be constrained by the level of resistance he will encounter to any bully tactics.

John Fry will be swimming in the ocean, not a small pond. Unlike in Lancaster, if he doesn’t take care, he may end up lunch for a bigger fish.