Celebrating
President Tim Hall and Lee Nicholson Hall
Award for Lifetime Achievement

Timothy L. Hall is the 12th president of Mercy College and is lauded for continuing the 73-year legacy of Mercy and for his steadfast leadership through the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. Under President Hall’s leadership, Mercy experienced tremendous progress in student success outcomes with significant increases in retention and graduation rates and in efforts to ensure equitable outcomes from students of all backgrounds. President Hall’s tenure is cemented by his tireless efforts of service to the College through improving career success outcomes, ensuring financial stability, solidifying the agreement with the College of New Rochelle to teach-out 1,800 students, expanding and fully renovating the MercyManhattan Campus and launching the Division of Workforce Credentialing and Community Impact. Along with several lead donors, President Hall established the Mercy Scholars Program to enable high-achieving students to graduate with little to no debt.


Through President Hall’s tenure, Mercy has been federally recognized as both a Hispanic-Serving Institution and a Yellow Ribbon School for Veterans and awarded the “Best College in Westchester” by Westchester Magazine in 2019, 2020 and 2022. President Hall has been recognized for his leadership by City & State Magazine in their Power 100 List for Westchester and New York City, awarded the Individual Changemaker Award by Nonprofit Westchester, the Effective Leadership Award by The Latino Center on Aging and the Distinguished Leader Award by Education Update. Mercy was also recognized by the White House as a “Bright Spot in Hispanic Education,” and in 2022 received the “Seal of Excelencia” from Excelencia in Education as a national exemplar of advancing prospects for success in college for its Hispanic students.


Prior to Mercy, Hall served for seven years as president of Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee. Hall received a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from the University of Houston, followed by two years of graduate work in religious studies at Rice University, before receiving his juris doctorate from the University of Texas Law School. 


Lee Nicholson Hall has been an active supporter and mentor to students both at Mercy and at Austin Peay. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston and a Master of Arts from Nyack College Alliance Theological Society. At Mercy, the Halls established the Timothy L. Hall and Lee Nicholson Hall Endowed Scholarship Fund and have supported many other initiatives including the Mav Market, Student Emergency Fund and the Trustees’ Scholarship Dinner. Together they have two children, Ben and Amy. After President Hall retires in June, the Halls will be retiring to their home state of Texas.