Quotes from Gordon Gee

Jewish students, by culture and by ability and by the very nature of their liveliness, make a university a much more habitable place in terms of intellectual life.

I'm the seventh chancellor at Vanderbilt; Bobby Johnson is the 25th head football coach. That shows a lack of commitment to attract and retain.

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

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

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

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

The notion of the large, massive public university that can exist in isolated splendor is dead.

The strength of the American higher education system is that it is a multifaceted, multi-layered system, and that is what makes us very strong.

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.

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.

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.

I think everyone needs to focus on the quality of the undergraduate experience.

We're going to make certain that we set a very high standard for ourselves.

I got all sorts of great Nebraska jokes.

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.

As one of the country's largest land-grant universities, Ohio State must play a critical role in moving our country forward.

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

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

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

When the fabric of the universe becomes unknown, it is the duty of the university to produce weavers.

People look at me like I'm crazy when I say that our greatest partnership here at Ohio State should be with the community colleges.

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.'

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.

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