E. Gordon Gee

Elwood Gordon Gee (born February 2, 1944), known as E. Gordon Gee, is an American academic. As of 2020, he was serving his second term as President of West Virginia University;[3] his first term was from 1981 to 1985. Gee has held more university presidencies than any other American.[4] He was head of the University of Colorado from 1985 to 1990, of The Ohio State University from 1990 to 1997, of Brown University from 1998 to 2000, of Vanderbilt University from 2000 to 2007, and of The Ohio State University for a second time from 2007 to 2013. Time rated Gee one of the top 10 college presidents in the United States for 2010.[5]

E. Gordon Gee
19th and 24th President of West Virginia University
Incumbent
Assumed office March 3, 2014[1]
Preceded by	James P. Clements
In office July 1, 1981 – June 30, 1985
Preceded by	Gene Budig
Succeeded by	Neil S. Bucklew
11th and 14th President of The Ohio State University
In office October 1, 2007[2] – June 30, 2013
Preceded by	Karen Holbrook
Succeeded by	Michael V. Drake
In office September 1, 1990 – January 2, 1998
Preceded by	Edward H. Jennings
Succeeded by	William English Kirwan
7th Chancellor of Vanderbilt University
In office July 7, 2000 – August 1, 2007
Preceded by	Joe B. Wyatt
Succeeded by	Nicholas S. Zeppos
17th President of Brown University
In office January 6, 1998 – February 7, 2000
Preceded by	Vartan Gregorian
Succeeded by	Ruth Simmons
President of University of Colorado
In office 1985–1990
Preceded by	William H. Baughn
Succeeded by	William H. Baughn
Personal details
Born	Elwood Gordon Gee February 2, 1944 Vernal, Utah, United States
Spouse(s)	Elizabeth Dutson ​ ​ (m. 1968; died 1991)​ Constance Bumgarner Gee ​ ​ (m. 1994; div. 2007)​
Children	Rebekah Gee
Residence	Morgantown, West Virginia
Alma mater	University of Utah (B.A.) Columbia University (J.D.) Teachers College, Columbia University (Ed.D.)
Profession	Educator
Signature
Academic background
Thesis	An Examination and Analysis of Public Employment Relations Statutes with Recommendations for Statutory Treatment of Collective Bargaining in Higher Education (1972)
Doctoral advisor	Dr. Walter E. Sindlinger
Other academic advisors	Dr. Michael Brick
Academic work
Discipline	Higher education administration
Institutions	Brigham Young University West Virginia University University of Colorado The Ohio State University Brown University Vanderbilt University

Gee stepped down from the Ohio State presidency on July 1, 2013, in response to a series of controversies relating to comments he made, the last of which involved anti-Catholic comments allegedly made in jest about the University of Notre Dame. He then headed an Ohio State-based think tank before returning to West Virginia University.

Early life, education, and early career

Gee with Ohio State University Students circa 1995–96.

Gee was born and grew up in Vernal, Utah, 171 miles (275 km) east of Salt Lake City, the son of an oil company employee and a school teacher. Raised a Mormon, he served a mission in Germany and Italy.[6] Gee is an Eagle Scout and a recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. Gee attended the University of Utah and graduated with a B.A. in history in 1968. After earning a J.D. from Columbia University Law School in 1971 and an Ed.D. from Teachers College, Columbia University in 1972,[7] Gee was named a judicial fellow and staff assistant to the Supreme Court for one year.[8]

After clerking for Chief Justice of the United States Warren Burger, Gee accepted a position as professor and associate dean at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. He became dean and professor at West Virginia University's law school in 1979, and president of the university two years later. As president of a university at age 37, he was one of the youngest chief executives in academia at the time.[9]

Brown University

Gee was president of Brown for only two years, and his tenure was mired in controversy.[10] According to The Village Voice and The College Hill Independent, one of the university's campus newspapers, Gee was criticized by students and faculty for treating the school like a Wall Street corporation rather than an Ivy League university.[11]

The E. Gordon Gee Lavatory Complex at Brown.

Critics pointed to his decisions to sign off on an ambitious brain science program without consulting the faculty, to sell $80 million in bonds for the construction of a biomedical sciences building, and to cut the university's extremely popular Charleston String Quartet, which many saw as part of Gee's effort to lead the school away from its close but unprofitable relationship with the arts.[11]

Gee left under a storm of criticism in 2000, as members of the Brown community widely accused him of departing from the school after an uncommonly short tenure because of Vanderbilt University's offer of a corporate-level salary and a tenured teaching position for his wife. According to a 2003 article by The Chronicle of Higher Education, Gee was the second highest paid university chief executive in the country with a purported total compensation package of more than $1.3 million.[12]

Gee's tumultuous tenure at Brown is commemorated annually with the "E. Gordon Gee Lavatory Complex," a collection of portable toilets that appears during Spring Weekend.[13]

Vanderbilt University

Gee enjoyed a relatively calm tenure at Vanderbilt compared to Brown. He was generally well liked by faculty and students, demonstrated by his high student approval ratings. In 2005, when Gee's approval saw a comparatively sharp drop, it still stood at 88.4%.[14] During his tenure, Vanderbilt saw a dramatic increase in student applications— more than 50% in six years—and a rise in the SAT scores of incoming freshmen. Under his tenure, the university completed a $1.25 billion fundraising campaign two years ahead of schedule.[15]

A September 2006 Wall Street Journal article detailed that some of Gee's problems at Vanderbilt—including his wife's actions (such as smoking marijuana in the chancellor's official residence), criticism of the high cost of renovating his home, and the couple's lavish spending—had come back to haunt him. Additionally, Gee's 2002 announcement that the administration was going to rename Confederate Memorial Hall without the word Confederate provoked a series of lawsuits. While Vanderbilt's board expressed some concern about Gee's spending, they also strongly endorsed his successful leadership. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education,[16] he received a total compensation of over $1.8 million in 2005/6, the highest of any continuing university president in the United States.

On March 11, 2003, a student satirical publication at Vanderbilt, The Slant, ran a complete mock-up of The Vanderbilt Hustler, entitled The Vanderbilt Huslter, with the headline "GEE DEAD". The hoax received some attention from national media, including an appearance on the Drudge Report. Gee's office responded to the hoax by releasing a photo of him holding a copy of the Huslter (with Gee smiling). Despite Gee's good humor about the prank, the ensuing controversy[17] led to the removal of The Slant's sophomore editor-in-chief David Barzelay from his post for inappropriately expropriating the Vanderbilt Hustler's news racks in violation of Vanderbilt Student Communications regulations. Gee discussed the hoax in his 2003 commencement speech. In September 2003, Gee made national headlines when he eliminated the organized athletic department at Vanderbilt and consolidated its activities under the Division of Student Life, the university's general administrative division for student organizations and activities. Some critics cited this reorganization in the recruiting process to call into question Vanderbilt's commitment to football.[18] However, Gee's action had its supporters, including NCAA President Myles Brand.[19] Furthermore, a stellar spring for Vanderbilt athletic teams and a top-30 finish in the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Director's Cup ranking of college athletic programs for the 2003–04 academic year provided some vindication for Vanderbilt and Gee.

Ohio State University

On July 11, 2007, Gee announced that he would be returning to Ohio State University as its president, ending his 7-year tenure at Vanderbilt.[20] According to The Chronicle of Higher Education,[16] he was to receive a base salary of total compensation of over $1 million, the highest of any public university president in the United States, though less than his pay at Vanderbilt.

Controversy arose over Gee's alleged usage of public money to live an extravagant lifestyle. The Dayton Daily News of Dayton, Ohio, reported that "Ohio State has spent more than $64,000 on bow ties, bow tie cookies and O-H and bow tie pins for Gee and others to distribute."[21]

Gee came under fire from the media following multiple remarks made by him. In 2010, Gee stated when talking about the rather weaker schedules of mid-major football programs Boise State and TCU compared to the schedules of Ohio State and other Big Ten and SEC programs, "I do know, having been both a Southeastern Conference president and a Big Ten president, that it's like murderer's row every week for these schools. We do not play the Little Sisters of the Poor. We play very fine schools on any given day". Gee would later apologize for his comments about this well established Roman Catholic Congregation, who have been operating in the United States since 1868.[22] He later visited the Little Sisters of the Poor, and claimed he did not know about the organization when he made the comments. TCU ended up getting the last laugh, winning the 2011 Rose Bowl; following the win, a group of TCU alumni paid for space on several digital billboards in the Columbus area in which the "Little Sisters of the Poor" congratulated TCU on its victory.[23]

In 2011, Gee came under fire again for anti-Polish sentiment after comparing being the president at Ohio State to running the Polish army. Gee would later regret making the comment after Polish-American groups strongly responded to his Polish joke. In response to Gee's remarks, the Polish American Congress released a statement demanding Gee's apology. "The Polish American Congress is shocked by the slanderous analogy used by Ohio State University President Gordon Gee and his slur on the military of a nation that has been fighting valiantly and effectively alongside the United States in Iraq and Afghanistan... We are dismayed by the bigotry and ignorance expressed by the president of such a large and prominent American university, especially since Ohio has a large Polish-American population and many OSU students are of Polish heritage. President Gee needs to apologize for his remarks.[24] ” said a statement from Susanne S. Lotarski, vice president for public relations at Polish American Congress.

In December 2012 Gee made offensive anti-Catholic statements. Gee said that the University of Notre Dame should not be added to the Big Ten:

I negotiated with them during my first term and the fathers are holy on Sunday and they’re holy hell on the rest of the week. You just can’t trust those damn Catholics on a Thursday or Friday.[25]

On March 11, 2013, Ohio State University trustees sent Gee a letter complaining that he had embarrassed the school with his comments. The anti-defamation chair of the Ancient Order of Hibernians responded with shock that it took six months for Gee to apologize, saying that "this delayed action smacks of damage control for the media, rather than a sincere effort to address a bigoted insult to Catholics."[26]

Bill Donohue of the Catholic League took a more sympathetic tack regarding the issue: "It’s time for everyone to take a deep breath," he commented. "I have never met President Gee, but it is clear from what I read that what he said was made in jest. Was it dumb? ... yes. But context and tone matter, as does the frequency of what may be considered an offensive remark: a real bigot is someone who repeatedly, and maliciously, attacks others. Gee is not such a man. Political correctness has gone too far."[27]

In addition, the Ohio State trustees also felt Gee's public comments were insensitive about the University of Cincinnati, University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, and the Southeastern Conference. The letter laid out the steps Gee must take, which included issuing personal apologies and obtaining professional help to improve personal communications and speech writing processes. Shortly thereafter, the full text of Gee's remarks became public, and it was revealed that during the same speech, he had also taken digs at former Wisconsin football head coach Bret Bielema, saying "[Wisconsin athletic director] Barry Alvarez thought he was a thug."[25][28] When asked about the SEC and Louisville saying the Big Ten couldn't count after the conference added Maryland and Rutgers during the early-2010s conference realignment to expand the conference to 14 teams, Gee took a jab at the academics of Louisville and the SEC, saying once they "learned to read and write", they could start thinking about conference expansion. Gee released an official apology and called his words a poor attempt at humor.[29]

Gee's base salary was $802,125, with a total compensation package of $1.6 million. In 2009, he donated a $200,531 bonus and his $20,053 raise to scholarship funds.[30]

In 2013, Gee earned $6,057,615 from Ohio State University.[31]

On June 4, 2013, Gee announced his retirement. In a news release, he said, "After much deliberation, I have decided it is now time for me to turn over the reins of leadership to allow the seeds that we have planted to grow. It is also time for me to reenergize and refocus myself.”[32]

West Virginia University

On December 5, 2013, West Virginia University announced that Gee would become its interim president until the search for a permanent president concluded.[33] Following an endorsement by the West Virginia University presidential search committee on February 28, 2014,[34] Gee was appointed by the Board of Governors at WVU on March 3 to be the University's 24th permanent president. BOG Chair James W. Dailey II said about Gee, "It is clear Gordon Gee has not been a placeholder president by any means; he has been an extraordinary high energy leader who is getting things done, moving [WVU] forward and clearly has the support of our Board, senior University leaders, faculty and staff, students, elected officials, higher education peers and opinion leaders."[35]

Personal life

Gee has been married twice. His first wife was Elizabeth D. Gee, with whom he had one daughter, Rebekah Gee. Gee and his daughter were featured on an episode of the public radio show This American Life discussing life after Elizabeth's death.[36] Gee divorced his second wife, Constance Bumgarner Gee, in 2007.[37] During the summer of 2016, Gee became engaged to Laurie Erickson of the Erickson Foundation.[38] Gee's daughter Rebekah was appointed Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals in 2016.[39]

In 2001, Gee received the Judge Elbert P. Tuttle Distinguished Achievement Award, the highest recognition of achievement in the Pi Kappa Alpha International fraternity.[40] In 2012, Gee became the first Honorary Esteemed Member of the University of Colorado's Buff Bow Tie Bunch (BBTB).[41]

Gee has donated more than $10,000 to Democratic and Republican political campaigns since 2010.[42]

References

1. "Gee appointed West Virginia University president -- for a third time". WVUtoday. March 3, 2014. Retrieved March 6, 2014.
2. "Holbrook seeks top job at university in Florida". The Columbus Dispatch. August 17, 2007. Retrieved September 23, 2007.
3. "Board names Gordon Gee as WVU president" (Press release). Morgantown, WV: The Associated Press. March 4, 2014. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
4. Rosenthal, Eric T. (December 25, 2007). "Shape Shifting the Matrix Model: OSU/James Hospital Structure May Emerge Stronger Following Institutional Infighting". Oncology Times. 29 (24): 22–26. doi:10.1097/01.COT.0000305574.26166.dd.
5. Von Drehle, David (November 11, 2009). "The Big Man on Campus". Time. Retrieved November 18, 2009.
6. Gordon Gee (March 28, 2006). Everything I Know about Being a Mormon I Learned from Running Universities, BYU Forum.
7. Gee, Elwood Gordon (1972). An examination and analysis of state public employment statutes with recommendations for statutory treatment of institutions of higher education (Ed.D.). Columbia University. OCLC 82869401 – via ProQuest.
8. "About the President". Archived from the original on March 13, 2013. Retrieved March 26, 2013. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
9. "E. Gordon Gee: 1998–2000 | Office of the President". Brown.edu. Archived from the original on February 28, 2014. Retrieved March 3, 2014.
10. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on January 12, 2017. Retrieved October 28, 2016.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
11. Blake A. Zeff (August 2, 2000). "Premature Evacuation: Why Did Gordon Gee Abandon Brown?". The Village Voice. Retrieved October 29, 2005.
12. Julianne Basinger (November 14, 2003). "Closing In on $1-Million". The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved August 2, 2005.
13. Staff (September 4, 2009). "Brown A-Z 2009–2010". post- Magazine. Retrieved April 8, 2010.
14. Ceryanec, Megan (March 23, 2005). "Gee's approval rating near 90 percent". The Vanderbilt Hustler.
15. "Gordon Gee steps down as Vanderbilt Chancellor". Retrieved August 4, 2018.
16. Page B13, Nov.16, 2007
17. Berger, Meredith (March 14, 2003). "Slant hoax ends in apologies". The Vanderbilt Hustler. Archived from the original on December 29, 2003. Retrieved October 11, 2007.
18. "Barnhart: Best and worst SEC jobs". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. December 13, 2006. Archived from the original on December 15, 2006. Retrieved December 13, 2006.
19. ^ Strike up the Vandy! by David Vecsey, sportsillustrated.com, September 12, 2003. Retrieved October 29, 2005.
20. Loos, Ralph (July 11, 2007). "Gee to leave Vanderbilt for Ohio State". The Tennessean. Retrieved July 11, 2007.
21. Bischoff, Laura (September 22, 2012). "OSU president expenses in the millions". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved November 17, 2012.
22. s:Catholic Encyclopedia (1913)/Little Sisters of the Poor
23. Piellucci, Mike (January 7, 2011). "TCU alumni taunt Buckeyes with signs". Fox Sports Southwest. Retrieved October 13, 2013.
24. Jim Woods (January 13, 2012). "Polish group seeks apology from Gee | The Columbus Dispatch". Dispatch.com. Retrieved March 3, 2014.
25. SI, Staff (May 31, 2013). "Listen to Ohio State's Gordon Gee's controversial remarks in their entirety". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on June 7, 2013. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
26. "A Letter from the Anti-Defamation Chair regarding comments made by Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee — Ancient Order of Hibernians". Aoh.com. June 2, 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2014.
27. "OHIO ST. UNIV. PREZ IS NO BIGOT — Catholic League". catholicleague.org. May 30, 2013. Retrieved May 11, 2015.
28. Welsh-Huggins, Andrew (May 31, 2013). "Trustees: Ohio State president 'embarrassed' school". Associated Press. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
29. "Ohio State prez calls out everyone". Retrieved August 4, 2018.
30. Archived March 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
31. Weissmann, Jordan (May 20, 2014). "This State College President Earned $6 Million Last Year. Should You Be Mad?". Retrieved August 4, 2018 – via Slate.
32. "Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee to retire | The Columbus Dispatch". Dispatch.com. June 4, 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2014.
33. "Former Ohio State President Gordon Gee to be interim president at West Virginia University, reports say". Cleveland.com. Retrieved March 3, 2014.
34. "WVU presidential search committee endorses Gee for permanent post". Wvutoday.wvu.edu. December 20, 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2014.
35. "Gee appointed West Virginia University president – for a third time". Wvutoday.wvu.edu. December 20, 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2014.
36. "401: Parent Trap". This American Life. Chicago Public Radio. February 19, 2010. Retrieved March 1, 2010.
37. "Vanderbilt Chancellor Gee and wife agree on divorce". NashvillePost.com. February 28, 2007. Retrieved February 28, 2007.
38. Gee, Gordon. "Gee Mail: A summer of engagement". West Virginia University. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
39. Litten, Kevin (January 27, 2016). "New Louisiana health secretary Rebekah Gee knows about tragedy". The Times-Picayune. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
40. "Alumni Affairs". Retrieved February 18, 2010.
41. Reimold, Dan. "Student bow tie club pushes for an 'elevated level of dressing-up on campus'". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on April 12, 2012. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
42. "Donor Lookup: Find Individual and Soft Money Contributors". OpenSecrets. Retrieved March 3, 2014.