E. Gordon Gee BA History '68

Gee has held more university presidencies than any other American. Prior to his resumption of the presidency of Ohio State on October 1, 2007, Gee was chancellor of Vanderbilt University from 2000 to 2007 and president of Brown University from 1997 to 2000, of the University of Colorado at Boulder from 1985 to 1990, and of West Virginia University from 1981 to 1985.

Gee attended the University of Utah where he was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity and graduated with a bachelor of arts in history in 1968. After earning doctorates in law and education from Columbia University in 1971 and 1972, respectively, specializing in education law, Gee clerked for Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger for one year.

After clerking for Justice 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 the university's president two years later. At 37, he was one of the youngest chief executives in academia at the time.

After successful administrations at WVU, Gee moved on to the University of Colorado in 1985 then to the Ohio State University in 1990. It was at Ohio State that Gee met and married his second wife Constance. He became president of Brown University in 1998.