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
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.
In tumultuous times, it's important to have a very mature leader.
The universities of the 21st century are going to be the smokestacks of the century.
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.
When the fabric of the universe becomes unknown, it is the duty of the university to produce weavers.
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.
I love this university, and although I might be retiring from the presidency, my work with Ohio State will continue.
We're going to make certain that we set a very high standard for ourselves.
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 joke that being a university president is akin to being a pinata. But there are also notions of redemption.
In a very complex world, you can no longer expect everyone to be great at everything.
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.
Online is ridiculous. Places like Ohio State bring people here together, and students teach each other.
What do I know about college football? I look like Orville Redenbacher. I have no business talking about college football.
I believe that it is higher education's purpose and calling to keep open the door to the American dream.
As one of the country's largest land-grant universities, Ohio State must play a critical role in moving our country forward.
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 think we can be competitive on and off the field and create a model where our athletes are scholars and learners, too.
Sitting on a corporate board is a hobby for me.
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.
I've been president of Brown and chancellor of Vanderbilt, where they have very high completion rates.
So if a college education is indispensable, the challenge as I see it is how to make it more accessible.
I believe being president of a private institution is a remarkable experience, but at Ohio State, it's a calling.
A truly great university is a nucleus of artistic expression. It fosters creative, critical thought, and serves as a platform for civil discourse.
My mouth is sore from continually extracting my foot from it.
Intellectual curiosity drove Einstein to some of the world's most important discoveries.
I think everyone needs to focus on the quality of the undergraduate experience.
Being president of a major public university is the most political nonpolitical office around.
Continue to surprise those who would put you in a neat demographic. Be insistently curious.
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.
I am a bit odd. I am somewhat evangelical. But I am not crazy.
I believe everything learned in college is an answer to a question that someone has posed. Questions get posed differently and the answers that come back transport us to places we never knew existed.
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.
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.
The Ohio State University has a rich - if quiet - heritage of the arts.
To be sure, American higher education is a diverse ecosystem, comprising institutions of all sizes, price tags, and mission statements.
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.
At least for me, I believe that one learns from one's mistakes. And I made significant mistakes, and I learned from them.
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.
I think what any student adds is the ideas they bring.
Every time I get a lot of money, I cry, and I got a lot of tears left.
Let me just be very clear: I'm just hopeful the coach doesn't dismiss me.
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.
If we make a difference in Ohio, we can make a difference on a national scale.
I did not want to go anywhere where I would be interim.
I am trying to prioritize and keep everything in balance, which for me is not easy.
We play very fine schools on any given day.
I got all sorts of great Nebraska jokes.
I'm probably one of most quotable guys in America.
