Goodbye Gee

After vehemently denying reports of Chancellor Gee leaving Vanderbilt University for The Ohio State University, the Vanderbilt student body received an email from Chancellor Gee this afternoon around 1:30 PM announcing his resignation as Chancellor of Vanderbilt. He is slated to assume Presidential responsibilities at The Ohio State University August 1st.

The two previous posts I have written about Dr. Gee can be found here and here.

With the Chancellor leaving, a huge void is left in Nashville. There were many activities, events, and ceremonies where Dr. Gee was the stronghold. You could find him on Fraternity Row at 2:00AM on Friday and Saturday nights partying with all the students. He put together one of the most magical graduation ceremonies I have ever attended. He always addressed all of the nursing students prior to each academic career with words of encouragement and praise for the profession we had chosen. And, if there was a Vanderbilt sport event, he was there....bowtie and all.

The minute students, alumni, and faculty read the email this afternoon, a gasp could be heard across Nashville. A copy of the email and news releases regarding his resignation can be read here.

I began to feel a mixture of emotions when I read the email: anger, bitterness, sadness, etc. I guess no one would fully understand if you never met him and the impact he had on people's lives. He reminds me of the former President and current Chancellor of Birmingham-Southern, my alma mater, Dr. Neal Berte. Dr. Berte would know everyone's name the minute they stepped on campus as freshmen. He would always ask me how softball season was going and how I felt about the upcoming season. Certain people just have that charisma about them that cannot be taught.

Prior to his Chancellor post at Vanderbilt, Dr. Gee was President at Brown University, Ohio State, University of Colorado, and West Virginia University. The tremendous changes he has made at Vanderbilt are unprecedented. Admission applications increased from 8,000 to 13,000 per year during his tenure, increasing the University's endowment to nearly $3 billion dollars, leading the country in rate of growth in academic research, and restructuring Vanderbilt's athletic department leading to success never seen before in school history.

He will be missed once he returns to Ohio State, but the next Chancellor, I'm sure, will be of the same caliber and reputation as Dr. Gee.

Go 'Dores.