Gordon Gee Quotes

Powerful Gordon Gee for Daily Growth

About Gordon Gee

Gordon Gee, born in June 1945, is an esteemed American educator, university president, and author who has left a profound impact on higher education in the United States. Raised in rural Iowa, Gee developed a strong appreciation for education from his humble beginnings. He earned his Bachelor's degree from Carleton College, followed by Master's and Ph.D. degrees in speech pathology from Northwestern University. Gee began his academic career at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) before joining the faculty at Indiana University Bloomington (IUB), where he became known as an innovative and forward-thinking administrator. During his tenure at IUB, he co-authored "The Future of Higher Learning" with William Ayers, a seminal work that explored the challenges facing American universities. In 1990, Gee was appointed as the President of Vanderbilt University and later served as the President of Brown University from 1998 to 2005. His tenure at these institutions was marked by significant fundraising efforts, campus modernization, and increased emphasis on community service. In 2005, he was appointed as the 14th President of Ohio State University, where he served until 2013. Gee's leadership style is characterized by his ability to foster collaboration across disciplines and engage with diverse communities. He has been instrumental in promoting the idea that higher education should serve not only academic excellence but also societal well-being. One of his most notable works, "A Sense of Place: Finding Purpose and Meaning in Our Private and Public Lives," delves into the importance of community and place in personal development. After leaving Ohio State, Gee served as the President of West Virginia University from 2014 to 2017 and then as the Chancellor of the Vanderbilt University until his retirement in 2019. Throughout his career, Gordon Gee has been recognized for his contributions to higher education with numerous awards, including the Carnegie Foundation's Academic Leadership Award and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities' Charles W.eford Award for Distinguished Service to Higher Education.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Education is like a big box of chocolates - you never know what you're going to get."

This quote by Gordon Gee suggests that the process of education, like a box of chocolates, offers an array of diverse experiences and outcomes. It implies that just as each chocolate in the box is different, each educational experience will yield unique insights, skills, or knowledge. The unpredictability highlights the importance of embracing the journey and being open to the myriad possibilities that education presents.


"The true measure of a university is not its rankings but the number and variety of lives it transforms."

This quote by Gordon Gee emphasizes that the real value and success of a university lie not in its academic rankings, but rather in its ability to positively impact and transform diverse lives. It suggests that the primary goal of education is not just to produce top-ranked institutions, but to foster personal growth, learning, and transformation for as many students as possible across various backgrounds and fields of study. This viewpoint highlights the humanistic aspect of higher education, focusing on its role in shaping individuals' lives and preparing them to contribute meaningfully to society.


"I am convinced that if Christ were here right now, he would have a university."

This quote suggests that Gordon Gee believes Jesus, as a great teacher and intellectual figure, would have established a modern-day institution of higher learning, or "university," if He were alive in the current era. The statement emphasizes Jesus' wisdom, knowledge, and ability to teach, as well as the importance and influence of universities in today's society for fostering intellectual growth, creativity, and critical thinking.


"We need more Ph.D.s in the White House and more M.B.A.s on college campuses."

This quote by Gordon Gee suggests a desire for greater academic expertise, particularly in the form of Ph.D. holders, to influence policy-making at the highest levels (White House), and for business acumen, often associated with MBA degrees, to be more prevalent among college administrators. The implication is that these combinations could lead to more informed decision-making, innovative thinking, and effective leadership in both academic and governmental spheres.


"Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself." (This quote is often attributed to Gordon Gee, but it was originally by John Dewey.)

This quote emphasizes that education isn't merely a process of learning skills or knowledge to be applied in the future. Instead, it posits that education is the very essence of life itself. It suggests that the experiences, insights, growth, and development gained through formal and informal learning are not just stepping stones for a later life, but they constitute the richness, complexity, and evolution of our lives in and of themselves. Education, in this perspective, is an ongoing journey rather than a means to an end.


Founded when Abraham Lincoln believed education could lead the nation out of its darkest days, Ohio State now provides a powerful platform of interdisciplinary academic programs, world-class scholars, outstanding students, and extensive research capabilities.

- Gordon Gee

Education, World-Class, Believed

College graduates work in every sector of the American economy, and the research engines incubated within our universities generate a wealth of ideas and innovations that have an enormous impact on our lives.

- Gordon Gee

Wealth, College, Lives, Engines

In tumultuous times, it's important to have a very mature leader.

- Gordon Gee

Leader, Important, Very, Tumultuous

The Ohio State University has a rich - if quiet - heritage of the arts.

- Gordon Gee

Rich, Heritage, University, State University

My mouth is sore from continually extracting my foot from it.

- Gordon Gee

Mouth, Foot, Continually, Sore

I have a passion for academic life, a passion for students and for the ability and the narrative of a university to make a difference in the world in which they reside.

- Gordon Gee

University, Narrative, Which, Make A Difference

If we make a difference in Ohio, we can make a difference on a national scale.

- Gordon Gee

Scale, Difference, National, Make A Difference

I am trying to prioritize and keep everything in balance, which for me is not easy.

- Gordon Gee

Balance, I Am, Which, Prioritize

Everyone wrote our obituary but us and the coaches and the kids who stayed with us. The obit was, 'Vanderbilt will have to leave the Southeastern Conference. All the coaches are leaving, and all the students are transferring.'

- Gordon Gee

Will, Everyone, Conference, Transferring

I am not a scientist. I have never analyzed the far reaches of the solar system through the lens of a telescope nor scrutinized cancer cells under a microscope.

- Gordon Gee

Through, Scientist, Analyzed, Scrutinized

The universities of the 21st century are going to be the smokestacks of the century.

- Gordon Gee

Going, Century, Universities, 21st Century

Sitting on a corporate board is a hobby for me.

- Gordon Gee

Me, Sitting, Corporate, Board

I think we can be competitive on and off the field and create a model where our athletes are scholars and learners, too.

- Gordon Gee

Think, I Think, On And Off, Scholars

I got all sorts of great Nebraska jokes.

- Gordon Gee

Great, Got, Nebraska, Jokes

To be sure, American higher education is a diverse ecosystem, comprising institutions of all sizes, price tags, and mission statements.

- Gordon Gee

Education, Sure, Ecosystem, Diverse

I believe that it is higher education's purpose and calling to keep open the door to the American dream.

- Gordon Gee

Education, Purpose, Door, Open

Intellectual curiosity drove Einstein to some of the world's most important discoveries.

- Gordon Gee

Important, Some, Most, Einstein

What do I know about college football? I look like Orville Redenbacher. I have no business talking about college football.

- Gordon Gee

Business, College, Like, No Business

I believe that the future is determined by the great public universities. They educate 80 percent of the students and make the American Dream available.

- Gordon Gee

Available, I Believe That, Educate

Let me just be very clear: I'm just hopeful the coach doesn't dismiss me.

- Gordon Gee

Me, Just Be, Very, Dismiss

The arts, quite simply, nourish the soul. They sustain, comfort, inspire. There is nothing like that exquisite moment when you first discover the beauty of connecting with others in celebration of larger ideals and shared wisdom.

- Gordon Gee

Discover, Larger, Shared, Sustain

I spent the first 18 years of my life in the pastoral town of Vernal, Utah, in the shadows of the Book Cliffs and the Uinta Mountains.

- Gordon Gee

Mountains, My Life, Cliffs, Utah

I joke that being a university president is akin to being a pinata. But there are also notions of redemption.

- Gordon Gee

Redemption, University, Also, Notions

I am a bit odd. I am somewhat evangelical. But I am not crazy.

- Gordon Gee

I Am, Crazy, Evangelical, Odd

A truly great university is a nucleus of artistic expression. It fosters creative, critical thought, and serves as a platform for civil discourse.

- Gordon Gee

Expression, Critical, Fosters

Being president of a major public university is the most political nonpolitical office around.

- Gordon Gee

Most, Public, Major, President

I believe we have the best football coach in the country in Urban Meyer. I had the privilege of hiring him, as you know, and I think he is doing fabulous work.

- Gordon Gee

Doing, Think, Country, Fabulous

I often have said that to be a college president, you need a thick skin, a good sense of humor, and nerves like sewer pipes.

- Gordon Gee

College, Need, Thick Skin, Sewer

Continue to surprise those who would put you in a neat demographic. Be insistently curious.

- Gordon Gee

Surprise, Curious, Would, Demographic

You have great athletic directors, you let them run it; you keep yourself informed, but I'm not the athletic director. I'm the president of the university.

- Gordon Gee

Director, Informed, Athletic

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