“The Timing is Right”

The College's 16th president, Jim Wright, 68, discusses his decision to retire in June of 2009.

Why retire next year?

I will have been at Dartmouth for 40 years. I will have been continuously in the senior administration for 20 years as dean of faculty, as provost, as president. I will turn 70 in 2009. It strikes me as a good convergence of things, and I think the timing is good. It's been a good tour for me. I found it immensely rewarding and satisfying. And I'm going to miss it a lot. I'll look back a lot and reflect on the things that I've done. But it's just time to move on, I think. It's not that I'm going to quit and go sit on a rocking chair. It's time for Dartmouth to think about what it's looking to do next, and it's a good time for Susan and me to figure out what we might want to do with the next phase of our lives.

When did you make your decision?

I don't know if there's anyway of precisely dating that. It struck me as I've thought about it over the last several months that 2009 might be a good time. But we didn't really lock in and finalize the timing until over the Christmas holidays. We had the chance to talk about it some more, Susan and I. And then I spoke to [board chair] Ed Haldeman '7O about it in January. I decided I would like to announce a little bit earlier than is the norm in these things, because I wanted the board to have ample time to discuss and seek input from people about what it is that they should be looking for. I didn't want to announce it later in the spring, at the June meeting, which is so truncated and full of all the ceremonial things.

What role did Susan play in making thedecision?

She certainly plays an important role in all considerations such as this, although it's not that she's been urging me or spending me to step down. She enjoys immensely representing Dartmouth as she does. I think we're comfortable, certainly, at this stage, moving on to see what we're going to do next. But I don't know what that is exactly.

So the two of you haven't got a masterplan for retirement?

Dartmouth students often wring their hands and worry about not really knowing what it is that they want to do next in their lives. I say to them that's okay, that lives are filled with opportunities to be taken, filled with challenges to be met. And they're not things simply to be planned. I'm going to follow my own advice and not try to plan what I'll do next, because I know that life will take some interesting turns. And I'll be happy to try to follow them.

And you also have seven grandchildrento catch up with.

I envy very much people who talk to me always about the time they spent with their grandchildren. We haven't had time to do that. Susan and I love Dartmouth and Dartmouth people. This is our life. We're energized by it. But it's also time for us to step back. I have seven grandchildren who are growing up right before my eyes, except not immediately before my eyes. Susan and I catch a glimpse of them once in awhile.

Do you think you'll return to any teaching after next June?

I don't think I'll go back to the classroom. I've been away too long. And I really have spent too much of my time here insisting that the strength of Dartmouth is faculty who are on top of their fields teaching students and sharing with them their enthusiasm for what they do. I'm not on top of my field now, after 20 years away from keeping up with the literature. So I don't think that's what I should be doing now.

Will you do any writing?

There are a lot of history books I want to read. I've got to think about what sort of writing I might want to do. I'm a historian. I love history. I love Dartmouth history. I might want to do something there. I have no intention now to sit down and do a long memoir that is read by several people. I'm not sure that I have a memoir in me. And it's just not something that interests me very much, which is not to say that I might not look for an opportunity to reflect on some aspect of my experience or another. That doesn't mean that I won't look for an opportunity to express a point of view on topics having to do with higher education or American history or American life. But I'm not sure just now. I'm more than happy to sit down and say, "Okay, now, what do I want to do?" and to let that flow.

Has your work with injured veterans influenced your decision—did you think,"I'd rather spend more time doing that?"

No. I've got the best job in the world right now. And I've been able, as president of Dartmouth certainly, to be engaged and helpful [with veterans]. When I do step down from the presidency that's one activity that I would certainly want to continue to be involved with in anyway that I could be helpful. I intend to help out with the injured veterans and, more broadly with veterans wanting to pursue a college education. I've been engaged in conversation with some people in Washington now about the G.I. Bill. I would love to see that get passed. And if I can help out in any way with that, I will.

Do you think you'll stay in Hanover?

We'll stay nearby. We have a place over at Sunapee. And I think we're going to be planning to move over there. You know, the interesting thing is that we haven't spent a lot of time thinking about what we're going to do next. I've been pretty much immersed in what I'm doing now and haven't quite worked all that out. But that's okay. That can follow. And I'm comfortable with that.

How tough is it to make a decision likethis—do you sit down and make a list ofpros and cons?

I'm not quite a list-maker. But, you know, there's no doubt that you go through some of that in your mind. If you accomplish the things you set out to accomplish, then you turn the keys over to somebody else to put forth the next agenda. Or you recognize that you're not going to accomplish what it is that you set out to do. In that case, you should also turn the keys over to somebody else and let them set the next agenda. I'm feeling that I am going to be able to accomplish most of the things that I set out to do. But, you know, Dartmouth is a neverending story. Dartmouth is always going to evolve. And there will be a new set of challenges and opportunities. I think it'll be wonderful for me to sit over on the hill 30 miles away and to watch Dartmouth continue to evolve and become stronger.

Surely you considered some reasons notto retire?

I have the best job in the world. I have health. I have energy. I enjoy immensely what I do. I am going to miss terribly having the opportunity to represent Dartmouth in the ways that I have. Susan and I, I can assure you, will miss having the regular contact we have with Dartmouth students. I can't tell you how energizing that is. And it makes it far easier for a 68year-old man to feel younger when he's with students such as we have here. So that's a good reason not to retire. But I don't intend ever to be fully distant from the College or from its students, although I surely have no interest in intruding at all.

Is this an opportunity to free yourselffrom the tension among trustees, thelawsuit and legislation, the chaos?

Well, I certainly don't find that an enjoyable part of my job. But I don't find it a dominant part of my job, either. It's not really a factor in coming to this decision at this time. I manage to stay focused on things other than the politics or the lawsuit and the legal action. I have had a good relationship with members of the board of trustees. So I'm not trying to quickly step back from something that I find uncomfortable or difficult. I'm not in a state of continuing tension and conflict by any means. I'm not wearing down. I'm enjoying immensely what it is that I'm doing.

Have the lawsuit and the capital campaign kept you in the job longer than you wanted?

No, not at all. I don't spend much time on the lawsuit at all. Its obviously important for me to be briefed on what's going on, and the general counsel keeps me informed. I think it's unfortunate that the College finds itself in this position. But I have every confidence the Colleges position will prevail.

Will the next 16 months bring any newitems to your agenda?

I don't intend to be a lame duck for other than maybe the last day and a half or two days. I've got things I want to do. And I'm going to move ahead and try to do them. The capital campaign will be coming to closure, as will a number of the projects that I set out to do. This past year I set forth some new agenda items having to do with financial aid, the writing and rhetoric program, engaging the professional school faculty, and sophomore summer. So it's not that I've run out of ideas and things that I want to do, but I think that you do reach sort of a natural break in things. I'm not running away from anything, I'm reluctantly stepping back. And I have enough confidence in myself and in Dartmouth to know this is the right time.

Will you be involved in choosing yoursuccessor?

No, I don't think a president should be involved in choosing his or her successor. Obviously, I will be available for the searching. If they want me to play any role in helping to recruit somebody, to share information with potential candidates, to help convince somebody that this is the right job for them, I would happily take on those assignments. But I have no interest, no expectation—nor should I have—that I would be involved in the choice. And anytime the 17th president or the 18th or 19th president would ask me to do something, I would do it. Anytime the board of trustees would ask me to do something, I surely would do it. And anytime the former students that we've known would ask us to help them out, we sure would want to try to do it, because this has been our life.

How are your friends reacting to thenews?

I've heard some very, very encouraging and favorable and complimentary things and generous comments from people. I don't think anyone is shocked. I mean, it's just not surprising after all. It's not like I'm a 48-year-old who suddenly decided he wants to go become a golf pro.

How have the expectations and dreamsyou brought with you to Dartmouth in1969 played out?

Everything has exceeded my dreams. I'd never been to New England until I came out here for a job interview in the fall of 1968. Coming to Hanover and New England in October is a wonderful experience. The history department offered me an appointment. I accepted it happily. When I came here I thought, well, I'll come here for a few years and then see where else I will go. So I had no illusion at the time, no expectation of coming here and spending the next 40 years. And I surely didn't have any expectation of coming here and serving as the president of Dartmouth College. I enjoyed history. And goodness,I loved teaching in those early years. I loved teaching in all the years that I taught. But in those early years, it was just—it was fun. You know, I wasn't much older than a lot of my students. We were exploring history together. I was learning as I was teaching. Dartmouth is a great place for that. And it doesn't take one very long to fall in love with an institution and a culture and a place. And I did that.

"I don't think 111 20back to the classroom.I've been away too long."

"I can't think of anything betterfor anyone in the world to dothan to be president of thiswonderful institution.And of course I will miss it."

JAKE TAPPER is senior national correspondent for ABC News and is based in its Washington, D.C., bureau.