Tag Archive for: West Virginia University

Jerry West, the legendary figure whose silhouette defines the NBA logo, left an indelible mark on basketball and on the hearts of those at Mountaineer Boys State. West, who attended the program in 1955 as a Nationalist in Gilmer cottage, passed away today, leaving behind a legacy of excellence and inspiration.

In his memoir, West recounts the pivotal summer of ’55, when he returned from Boys State to meet Fred Schaus, West Virginia’s coach, who would be the first to recruit him. It was at Boys State, held at Jackson’s Mill, where he met Willie Akers, forming a friendship and a competitive bond that would last a lifetime. West’s performance at Boys State not only showcased his athletic prowess but also instilled in him a newfound self-confidence and a sense of belonging.

His time at Boys State was a precursor to his storied career, from his heroic plays at West Virginia University to his enduring legacy with the Los Angeles Lakers. West’s journey from the courts of Morgantown to the glitz of Los Angeles was marked by the same determination and humility he carried from his days at Boys State.

West’s commitment to nurturing young talent, whether at fantasy camps or through mentoring, mirrored the values he cherished from Boys State—self-improvement and the pursuit of dreams. His departure to Los Angeles in 1960 may have been his third from home, but it was his time at Boys State that laid the foundation for a lifetime of achievements.

As we remember Jerry West, we celebrate not just a basketball icon, but a Mountaineer who exemplified the spirit of Boys State—leadership, community, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. Rest in peace, Jerry West, the “Men of Tomorrow” will continue to be inspired by your story.

Dr. E. Gordon Gee, currently serving his second term as the President of West Virginia University, is a distinguished leader in higher education with a career spanning over three decades. Born in Vernal, Utah, Dr. Gee graduated from the University of Utah with an honors degree in history and earned his J.D. and Ed.D degrees from Columbia University. He has held more university presidencies than any other American, including at The Ohio State University (twice), Vanderbilt University, Brown University, and the University of Colorado. In 2009, Time magazine named him one of the top 10 university presidents in the United States. Dr. Gee’s commitment to education extends beyond administration; he is the co-author of over a dozen books on law and education. Today, we are honored to have him as our keynote speaker at the American Legion Mountaineer Boys State.

Tony Caridi, known as “The Voice of the Mountaineers,” is a renowned sportscaster for West Virginia University’s Mountaineer Sports Network and West Virginia Radio Corporation’s Metronews Radio Network. Born on September 8, 1962, in Lockport, New York, Caridi’s passion for sports broadcasting was sparked by listening to the NBA’s Buffalo Braves, the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres, and the NFL’s Buffalo Bills1. He graduated from Syracuse University’s S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications in 1984. Caridi arrived in West Virginia in 1984 and has been a vital part of the state’s sports broadcasting scene ever since. In addition to his broadcasting career, Caridi is also a children’s book author. Today, we are honored to have him as a keynote speaker at the American Legion Mountaineer Boys State.

Tony Caridi’s presentation is followed by the ALMBS Americanism Team for a presentation on the United States Flag Code and Flag Etiquette. Today, we delved into the significance, the respect, and the protocol associated with our nation’s flag. The Stars and Stripes is not just a piece of fabric; it’s a symbol of our nation’s history, values, and unity. Understanding the Flag Code and proper flag etiquette is a way for us to show our respect and gratitude for our nation and those who have served it. So, let’s embark on this journey of learning and deepen our appreciation for the Star-Spangled Banner.

Dr. E. Gordon Gee, currently serving his second term as president of West Virginia University, is a distinguished leader in higher education with over three decades of experience. Recognized by Time magazine as one of the top 10 university presidents in the United States in 2009, he was recently named the nation’s top university president by Great Value Colleges. Gee’s extensive career includes presidencies at The Ohio State University (twice), Vanderbilt University, Brown University, and the University of Colorado.

Hailing from Vernal, Utah, Gee earned an honors degree in history from the University of Utah. He furthered his education at Columbia University, obtaining J.D. and Ed.D. degrees. Before embarking on his journey in higher education, Gee served as a clerk under Chief Justice David T. Lewis of the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. He also had the privilege of working as a judicial fellow and staff assistant to Chief Justice Warren Burger of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Gee is a prolific author, having co-authored over a dozen books, including the forthcoming publication “What’s Public about Higher Education.” Notable works such as “Leading Colleges and Universities” and “Land-Grant Universities for the Future” have contributed to his reputation as a thought leader. He has also published numerous papers and articles on law and education. With an extensive background in education governance, Gee serves on various boards and commissions, including the National 4-H Council Board of Trustees and the National Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of America. He has held prominent roles such as chair of the Big 12 Board of Directors Executive Committee and Big 12 representative on the College Football Playoff Board of Managers. Gee’s dedication to shaping a more civil and just society is evident through his involvement with the Center for Economic Development (CED) Task Force and his membership in the Education Advisory Board (EAB) Presidents Advisory Council.

Dr. E. Gordon Gee’s leadership and commitment have positioned him as an influential figure in higher education. As the president of West Virginia University, he continues to steer the institution towards excellence, making significant contributions to the university and the broader field of education.

 

For more information on West Virginia University President E. Gordon Gee visit: https://presidentgee.wvu.edu/

Dr. E. Gordon Gee is one of America’s most prominent higher education leaders, having helmed universities for more than three decades. In 2009, Time magazine named him one of the top 10 university presidents in the United States. Recently, the website Great Value Colleges named him the nation’s top university president.

In 2014, Gee returned to West Virginia University, where his career as a university president began. His leadership goals include putting students first, advancing the university’s research agenda, partnering with West Virginia communities and making sure that 1.8 million West Virginians know in their hearts and minds that West Virginia University is their university.

Born in Vernal, Utah, Gee graduated from the University of Utah with an honors degree in history and earned his J.D. and Ed.D. degrees from Columbia University. He clerked under Chief Justice David T. Lewis of the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals before being named a judicial fellow and staff assistant to the U.S. Supreme Court. In this role, he worked for Chief Justice Warren Burger on administrative and legal problems of the Court and federal judiciary. Gee returned to Utah as an associate professor and associate dean in the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University and was granted full professorship in 1978.

One year later, he became dean of the West Virginia University College of Law, and, in 1980, was named West Virginia University president. He served in that role until 1985.

He went on to lead the University of Colorado (1985-1990), Brown University (1998-2000) and Vanderbilt University (2001-2007). He served as president of The Ohio State University from 1990 to 1997 and again from 2007 to 2013.

Gee has been a member of several education-governance organizations and committees including the Big 12 Conference Council of Presidents, the Business-Higher Education Forum and the American Association of Universities. He was chair of the American Council on Education’s Commission on Higher Education Attainment and served as co-chair of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities’ Energy Advisory Committee. In 2009, Gee was invited to join the International Advisory Board of King Adbulaziz University in Saudi Arabia, and he currently serves on the Board of the Royal University for Women in Bahrain.

Active in a number of national professional and service organizations during his tenures, he has served on the boards for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc., Limited Brands and the National 4-H Council. In 2011, Gee was appointed to serve as secretary on the Board of Directors of Ohio’s economic development program, JobsOhio. In 2011-2012, he was asked by Governor Kasich to chair both the Ohio Higher Education Capital Funding Collaborative and the Ohio Higher Education Funding Commission. In March 2015, he was elected to the board of directors of the American Council on Education, the nation’s largest higher education organization. And he served as chair of the Big 12 Board of Directors Executive Committee for the 2017-18 year. Gee presently serves on the council of presidents for the Southern University Research Association.

Gee has received a number of honorary degrees, awards, fellowships and recognitions. He is a fellow of the prestigious American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s largest science organization. In 1994, Gee received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Utah, as well as from Teachers College of Columbia University. In 2013, he received the ACE Council of Fellows/Fidelity Investments Mentor Award and received the Outstanding Academic Leader of the Year Award on behalf of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. He is the co-author of over a dozen books, including his two most recent, “Leading Colleges and Universities” and “Land-Grant Universities for the Future.”

For more information: https://presidentgee.wvu.edu/

Dr. E. Gordon Gee is one of America’s most prominent higher education leaders, having served as president of some of the most prestigious public and private universities for more than three decades.

When he returned to lead West Virginia University in 2014 as the institution’s 24th president, it was a homecoming of sorts. He was first named WVU president in 1981 at age 36 – at the time, among the youngest persons to ever serve as a university president.

He led WVU until 1985 when he went on to presidencies at the University of Colorado (1985-90), Brown University (1998-2000) and Vanderbilt University (2001-07). He served as president of The Ohio State University from 1990-97 and again from 2007-13.

On his return to the Morgantown campus, he said, “This is not a job to me; it is a calling.” His leadership style bears that out as he works tirelessly to advance the University’s land-grant mission and open doors to the American dream.

In his latest address to the University community, he noted that for 150 years, the institution has been a polar star guiding West Virginians toward a brighter tomorrow. He said, “That is why, in this milestone year, we recommit our University to living the values that drive our work. Serving our students and our state is not just our duty — it is our passion.”

Gee has built a special relationship with the students as well as the state’s citizens, making it a point to visit students where they live, learn and socialize — and visiting all 55 West Virginia counties during his inaugural year – and at least half in subsequent years.

Born in Vernal, Utah, Gee graduated from the University of Utah with an honors degree in history and earned his J.D. and Ed.D. degrees from Columbia University. He clerked under Chief Justice David T. Lewis of the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals before being named a judicial fellow and staff assistant to the U.S. Supreme Court. In this role, he worked for Chief Justice Warren Burger on administrative and legal problems of the Court and federal judiciary. Gee returned to Utah as an associate professor and associate dean in the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University, and was granted full professorship in 1978.

One year later, he became dean of the WVU College of Law, and, in 1981, was named WVU’s 19th president.

Gee has served on several education-governance organizations and committees, including the Big 12 Conference Council of Presidents, the Business Higher Education Forum and the American Association of Universities. He was chair of the American Council on Education’s Commission on Higher Education Attainment and served as co-chair of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities’ Energy Advisory Committee. In 2009, King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia invited him to join its international advisory board. In 2009, Time magazine named him one of the top 10 university presidents in the United States.

Gee is serving as chair of the Big 12 Board of Directors Executive Committee for the 2017-18 year. Active in many national professional and service organizations, he is on the executive committee of the National 4-H Council Board of Trustees and serves on the board of trustees of the Royal University for Women in Bahrain, with which WVU has a long-standing academic partnership. A recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award, he is an executive board member of Boy Scouts of America. He has also served on the boards for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and Limited Brands.

In 2011, Gee began serving as secretary on the Board of Directors of Ohio’s economic development program, JobsOhio. In 2011-12, Governor John Kasich asked him to chair the Ohio Higher Education Capital Funding Collaborative and the Ohio Higher Education Funding Commission. In December 2012, he began serving on the Columbus Education Commission.

Gee has received many honorary degrees, awards, fellowships and recognitions. He is a fellow of the prestigious American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s largest science organization. In 1994, Gee received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Utah, as well as from Teachers College of Columbia University. In 2013, he received the ACE Council of Fellows/Fidelity Investments Mentor Award and the Outstanding Academic Leader of the Year Award on behalf of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. He is the co-author of 11 books, including Law, Policy and Higher Education, published in 2012. He has also authored many papers and articles on law and education.

In the summer of 2016, Gee announced his engagement to Laurie Erickson, leader of the Erickson Foundation. Gee’s daughter, Rebekah, is Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health. In addition to that role, she is a practicing gynecologist and Gratis Faculty at the Louisiana State University School of Medicine and Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. Dr. Rebekah Gee is married to David Patrón and they have five children.

More Information: https://presidentgee.wvu.edu/

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Dr. E. Gordon Gee is one of America’s most prominent higher education leaders, having helmed universities for more than three decades. In 2009, Time magazine named him one of the top 10 university presidents in the United States.

In 2014, Gee returned to West Virginia University, where his career as a university president began. His leadership goals include putting students first, advancing the university’s research agenda, partnering with West Virginia communities and making sure that 1.8 million West Virginians know in their hearts and minds that West Virginia University is their university.

Born in Vernal, Utah, Gee graduated from the University of Utah with an honors degree in history and earned his J.D. and Ed.D. degrees from Columbia University. He clerked under Chief Justice David T. Lewis of the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals before being named a judicial fellow and staff assistant to the U.S. Supreme Court. In this role, he worked for Chief Justice Warren Burger on administrative and legal problems of the Court and federal judiciary. Gee returned to Utah as an associate professor and associate dean in the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University, and was granted full professorship in 1978.

One year later, he became dean of the West Virginia University College of Law, and, in 1981, was named West Virginia University president. He served in that role until 1985.

He went on to lead the University of Colorado (1985-1990), Brown University (1998-2000), and Vanderbilt University (2001-2007). He served as president of The Ohio State University from 1990 to 1997 and again from 2007 to 2013.

Gee has been a member of several education-governance organizations and committees, including the Big Ten Conference Council of Presidents, the Inter-University Council of Ohio, the Business-Higher Education Forum, and the American Association of Universities. He was chair of the American Council on Education’s Commission on Higher Education Attainment and served as co-chair of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities’ Energy Advisory Committee. In 2009, Gee was invited to join the International Advisory Board of King Adbulaziz University in Saudi Arabia.

Active in a number of national professional and service organizations during his tenures, he has served on the boards for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc., Limited Brands, and the National 4-H Council. In 2011, Gee was appointed to serve as secretary on the Board of Directors of Ohio’s economic development program, JobsOhio. In 2011-2012, he was asked by Governor Kasich to chair both the Ohio Higher Education Capital Funding Collaborative and the Ohio Higher Education Funding Commission. In December 2012, he was asked to serve on the Columbus Education Commission. And in March 2015, he was elected to the board of directors of the American Council on Education, the nation’s largest higher education organization.

Gee has received a number of honorary degrees, awards, fellowships, and recognitions. He is a fellow of the prestigious American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s largest science organization. In 1994, Gee received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Utah, as well as from Teachers College of Columbia University. In 2013, he received the ACE Council of Fellows/Fidelity Investments Mentor Award and received the Outstanding Academic Leader of the Year Award on behalf of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. He is the co-author of 11 books, including Law, Policy and Higher Education, published in 2012. He is also the author of numerous papers and articles on law and education.

Gee’s daughter, Rebekah, is Secretary of Louisiana’s Department of Health and Hospitals, and an assistant professor of Public Health and Medicine at Louisiana State University. She is also a Norman F. Gant/American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology/IOM Anniversary Fellow.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Dr. E. Gordon Gee is one of America’s most prominent higher education leaders, having helmed universities for more than three decades. In 2009, Time magazine named him one of the top 10 university presidents in the United States.

In 2014, Gee returned to West Virginia University, where his career as a university president began. His leadership goals include putting students first, advancing the university’s research agenda, partnering with West Virginia communities and making sure that 1.8 million West Virginians know in their hearts and minds that West Virginia University is their university.

Born in Vernal, Utah, Gee graduated from the University of Utah with an honors degree in history and earned his J.D. and Ed.D. degrees from Columbia University. He clerked under Chief Justice David T. Lewis of the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals before being named a judicial fellow and staff assistant to the U.S. Supreme Court. In this role, he worked for Chief Justice Warren Burger on administrative and legal problems of the Court and federal judiciary. Gee returned to Utah as an associate professor and associate dean in the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University, and was granted full professorship in 1978.

One year later, he became dean of the West Virginia University College of Law, and, in 1981, was named West Virginia University president. He served in that role until 1985.

He went on to lead the University of Colorado (1985-1990), Brown University (1998-2000), and Vanderbilt University (2001-2007). He served as president of The Ohio State University from 1990 to 1997 and again from 2007 to 2013.

Gee has been a member of several education-governance organizations and committees, including the Big Ten Conference Council of Presidents, the Inter-University Council of Ohio, the Business-Higher Education Forum, and the American Association of Universities. He was chair of the American Council on Education’s Commission on Higher Education Attainment and served as co-chair of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities’ Energy Advisory Committee. In 2009, Gee was invited to join the International Advisory Board of King Adbulaziz University in Saudi Arabia.

Active in a number of national professional and service organizations during his tenures, he has served on the boards for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc., Limited Brands, and the National 4-H Council. In 2011, Gee was appointed to serve as secretary on the Board of Directors of Ohio’s economic development program, JobsOhio. In 2011-2012, he was asked by Governor Kasich to chair both the Ohio Higher Education Capital Funding Collaborative and the Ohio Higher Education Funding Commission. In December 2012, he was asked to serve on the Columbus Education Commission. And in March 2015, he was elected to the board of directors of the American Council on Education, the nation’s largest higher education organization.

Gee has received a number of honorary degrees, awards, fellowships, and recognitions. He is a fellow of the prestigious American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s largest science organization. In 1994, Gee received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Utah, as well as from Teachers College of Columbia University. In 2013, he received the ACE Council of Fellows/Fidelity Investments Mentor Award and received the Outstanding Academic Leader of the Year Award on behalf of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. He is the co-author of 11 books, including Law, Policy and Higher Education, published in 2012. He is also the author of numerous papers and articles on law and education.

Gee’s daughter, Rebekah, is the Medicaid Medical Director for the State of Louisiana, and an assistant professor of Public Health and Medicine at Louisiana State University. She is also a Norman F. Gant/American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology/IOM Anniversary Fellow.

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