Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, September 29, 1993 TAG: 9309290201
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MICHAEL STOWE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Long
"My physician has informed me that it's not possible for me to continue in my present position while undergoing the necessary medical treatment I must follow," he said.
It was a somber affair Tuesday as he addressed roughly 2,000 faculty, staff members and students from a review stand on the edge of Tech's drill field.
McComas, 64, will move to Ohio next week to be near family members as he fights the disease.
His resignation is effective Jan. 1, but the Virginia Tech board of visitors is expected to hold an emergency meeting next week to name an acting president and begin the search for a replacement.
As a haggard-looking McComas was helped to the stone lectern at noon, chimes from Burruss Hall's bell tower rang behind him.
"I didn't realize there was going to be background music," he said, trying to lighten the mood for the crowd gathered below on the drill field.
It didn't work. Faculty and administrators were shaken by the sudden announcement.
"It's all happening very fast," said Minnis Ridenour, Tech's executive vice president.
He praised McComas for his firm leadership and called him "one of the most creative thinkers I've ever met. He cared for every employee of the university."
McComas had surgery at Duke Medical Center the day after he was diagnosed last week. He had checked into the North Carolina hospital after being unable all summer to shake what was initially diagnosed as a virus.
An extremely private individual, McComas has not revealed the prognosis of his condition, saying only that he hopes to return to Blacksburg when his health allows.
"I want each of you to know that I have come to love you and the university very much," he said.
McComas came to Tech in 1988 and spent most of his tenure grappling with ways to cut costs. State budget cuts in 1989 and 1990 totaled $46.7 million.
Despite his weakened condition, McComas took the opportunity to campaign against further budget cuts by the state government.
"Now is the time for Virginia students and their parents to say to their local legislators that a funding level equal to 48th in the nation is not acceptable," he said.
Virginia is ranked 43rd in the nation in state funding for higher education, but the 10 percent to 15 percent cuts proposed for next year would drop the state to 48th.
Gordon Davies, director of the State Council of Higher Education, said it didn't surprise him that McComas used such a sad occasion to further the cause of higher education.
"He went out of his way to remember that colleges and universities are here to serve the students," he said. "It's a big loss."
Tech's 13th president will also be missed by peers around the state.
"Jim McComas is not only a splendid educator, but also a splendid person," said Ronald E. Carrier, president of James Madison University.
University of Virginia President John Casteen praised McComas for his leadership during the state's budget crunch.
"He's a first-rate person whose energy and commitment will be greatly missed," he said.
McComas' outspokenness following the first round of budget cuts in 1989 caused a strained relationship with Gov. Douglas Wilder.
Wilder questioned the university's handling of the budget cuts and questioned the need for the university's ties to the Hotel Roanoke in such tough times.
Tensions have eased over the years, though, and the governor issued a statement Tuesday wishing McComas a quick recovery.
"I would say that his tenure at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University has lifted that institution into a realm of prestige and productivity that makes us all proud," Wilder said.
U.S. Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Abingdon, lauded McComas for his role in extending Virginia Tech into the community and helping stimulate economic development.
The school has been involved in planning of the proposed "smart" road between Blacksburg and Interstate 81 and also has teamed with Roanoke leaders in raising money to renovate the Hotel Roanoke and build an adjacent convention center.
This summer, McComas was named co-chairman of the New Century Business Council, a group of New River Valley and Roanoke leaders who are charting an economic vision for the region.
"More than any of his predecessors, Jim has taken steps to involve the university in the community and help us advance our quality of life," Boucher said.
Blacksburg Town Manager Ron Secrist said McComas has helped the local economy by opening up the university to events such as the Family Motor Coach Convention and Tour DuPont bicycle race this summer.
"He had the courage to say, `Let's go out and seek those activities,' " he said.
Henry Dekker, vice rector of Tech's board of visitors, said the board probably will meet next week to name an acting president.
He wouldn't reveal his choice, but obvious candidates include Ridenour, Vice President and Provost Fred Carlisle and Paul Torgersen, acting dean of the engineering school.
Torgersen was acting president after McComas' predecessor, William Lavery, resigned in 1987. He was a strong candidate for the permanent position, but the board decided to hire from outside the university.
Torgersen on Tuesday said he would be surprised if the board selected him; he cited Carlisle as the front-runner.
He expressed admiration for McComas' dedication to the job.
"He just worked incredibly hard," he said. "I've never seen a president that work-oriented."
Shortly after arriving at Tech from the University of Toledo in Ohio, where he was president from 1985 to 1988, McComas told a reporter: "I want to leave before people want me to."
On Tuesday, he did just that.
There were tears to prove it.
by CNB