According to the Columbus Dispatch and other news reports, Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee has announced that he is retiring, effective July 1.
Gee’s retirement comes on the heels of some ill-advised comments about Catholics that were intended as humor but struck many people as disparaging. Gee insists that he is not retiring because of the comments, but rather because of his age and the University’s need for long-term planning. Whatever the real reason might be, it’s clear that Gee’s jibes about Catholics — and some of the other curious comments he has made in recent years — have not been well-received by some members of the University community. His most recent remarks were criticized by the President of the Board of Trustees and he was put on a remediation plan that sought to change his behavior.
Gee, 69, served twice as the University’s President. My guess is that most people believe that — gaffes notwithstanding — he has left the University stronger and better positioned than it was when he first took office. He has been a tireless fundraiser, and with his bow tie and constant public appearances he became something of a celebrity. Speaking as an OSU alum, I wish President Gee well, but I’m also interested in seeing who will be hired to replace him and whether they might take a different approach to what is a very big job. In Ohio, the President of The Ohio State University can and should be a very significant and influential figure in the statewide community, and it will be a huge challenge to find and hire the right person for a very important position.
I’ve read the Ohio State letter self-reporting the violations and listened to parts of tonight’s press conference about the matter, in which OSU Athletic Director Gene Smith, Coach Tressel, and OSU President E. Gordon Gee spoke. I have some questions about what happened, but I’d prefer to reserve judgment until more information comes out. I think a big part of the puzzle will be the e-mails between Coach Tressel and the attorney who advised Tressel of the potential NCAA violations — and who apparently requested confidentiality because the information was obtained in the context of a federal drug trafficking investigation. How were the e-mails phrased? Did their contents reasonably suggest that Coach Tressel should be concerned about the safety of the unnamed players who allegedly were involved?
Wexner graduated from The Ohio State University, started The Limited Stores in central Ohio and saw them grow into a huge retail conglomerate, and has never forgotten his central Ohio roots. 
As impressive as Wexner’s charitable activities have been, however, he has had an even more profound impact on central Ohio as a capitalist. The Limited and its various affiliates, subsidiaries, and spin-offs have employed thousands of central Ohioans and brought many new, creative people to our community; those businesses and the taxes paid by their employees have contributed millions toward the coffers of local governments throughout the area. The Easton Town Center, which Wexner developed, is one of the premier mixed-use shopping areas in the nation and attracts many out-of-towners to our fair city. And the house where Kish and I live wouldn’t be here but for Wexner and his decision to launch a new suburb in New Albany, a formerly sleepy farming community in the far northeast corner of Franklin County.
