In his four-plus decades as a higher education leader across the U.S., retiring West Virginia University President Gordon Gee has lived a structured life.
He has two Dr. Pepper Zeros a day, one at 10 a.m. and one at 3 p.m.
Peek into his closet and you will see his wardrobe arranged by color.
“My life has been planned out every half-hour for 45 years,” Gee said. “I do not know anything else to do.”
Retirement may sound daunting to the structurally-inclined, but Gee assures he will be keeping busy.
In May (2025), Gee attended his final commencement ceremonies as president. Throughout his career, he has conferred 335,703 degrees.
Q: Looking back on the past 10 years, what are you most proud of?
A: We focused on our four pillars – education, health care, prosperity and purpose. In the education arena, we have preached that education is pre-K through life, not only college. We have helped improve the quality of education for West Virginians, and our Public Education Collaborative has done a lot of great work across the state.
I am very proud of what we have done with Medicine and the Health Sciences. The bright, shining star of West Virginia is our health system. It assures that no West Virginian needs to leave the state for world-class care. We have been instrumental in attracting business and industry, and the population is starting to grow again. It is a sign that our programs are working, like the remote worker programs we have created to attract business.
Finally, we have been very purpose driven. I have always wanted this to be a place where our students are leaving not only with a degree but with a higher purpose.
Q: You first served here as president from 1981 to 1985. What were some the major differences between your two presidencies?
A: I was much younger back there. When I came back, we were entering the national and international stage. We had become the largest employer in the state and had more influence on its future than any other institution as its only land-grant, R1 university.
Q: What do you know about your successor, President Michael Benson, and what advice would you give him?
A: Oh, he is going to be a wonderful president. The University has been run by a lawyer here for 10 years, and now you have a humanist, a fine historian with a lot of experience.
He is not a president who will isolate himself from the community and the University. He will be engaged in outreach and make sure the University has a presence around the state. If you love the state and its people, they will love you back.
Q: Are you still roaming Downtown Morgantown on the weekends?
A: I do. And I do it because I think that a large institution like this, with all the challenges of running it, personalizing the institution is very important. You do that by meeting people where they are rather than an office or formal setting. I always ask students about their majors and get a sense of their concerns. I have an uncanny ability to remember everyone’s name, too.
Q: What will you miss most about being president of WVU?
A: I will miss welcoming our new freshmen every year. This University is a very special place with very special people. So is the state. I have traveled to all 55 counties and, out of that, I have develop great friends in small towns and communities that probably have never hosted a university president. Initially, people are probably suspicious. The people in Mingo County were probably imagining why a guy wearing a bowtie was showing up there. But I kept going back, and after staying connected, you become very engaged with those communities. At first, I thought I had landed on the moon and they thought I was from Mars.
Q: At the end of the day, what do you want people to remember?
People will remember the good things you have done and the times you have been supportive. I hope I have impacted the institution in a positive way. I always joked that, as president, your friends are going to go and your enemies are going to accumulate.
