ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, May 11, 1996 TAG: 9605130088
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: ALLISON BLAKE STAFF WRITER
MEMO: shorter version ran in the Metro edition.
John Wilson is the first to admit he liked his old job at Virginia Tech.
That was back in the financial salad days, when nobody worried about things like serious budget cuts. Being a university provost meant you worried about how to spend research money, or hire faculty to create curricula. Not bad work at all - especially when you're a former Rhodes Scholar.
Then came the fateful call. Following in the footsteps of Robert E. Lee, Wilson went off to become the president of venerable Washington and Lee University, and - well before the federal government sued neighboring Virginia Military Institute over the issue - was catapulted into Lexington's first controversy over admitting women to an all-male school.
Studies now show the admission of women starting in 1985 has been a booming success at the private liberal arts college. Wilson retired nearly a year ago and moved back to Blacksburg with his wife, Anne.
Today, Tech's former provost takes the podium as commencement speaker when the state's largest university graduates more than 4,000 students. Ceremonies are scheduled for 9 a.m. at Lane Stadium, unless bad weather forces the pomp and circumstance into nearby Cassell Coliseum.
Tech President Paul Torgersen calls his friend and sometimes tennis partner "an impressive guy, and he speaks very well.
"I can't overstate how much confidence I have in his ability to deliver an address students and parents can feel good about."
Wilson had plenty of practice delivering commencement speeches at W&L, where tradition dictates the president deliver the graduation address. Wilson served 12 years as president.
"I didn't apply," Wilson said recently, recalling his departure from Blacksburg. "That was the interesting thing. I was very happy here. I hadn't even thought about Washington and Lee until the [search] committee called me.''
As is common in academic job searches, Wilson was nominated for the post - by whom, he says he doesn't know.
"They invited me to Lexington for the very first time to meet with the board selection committee, and three weeks later, they offered the position to me."
Wilson arrived at W&L in 1983. In addition to overseeing the admission of women, he says, he took on an "inherited agenda" that prompted investments to improve the fine arts part of the academic operation. One of his final duties was overseeing a five-year, $127 million capital campaign that saw construction of the fine arts venue known as the Lenfest Center.
Although he now lives only a few minutes from the Drillfield, Wilson says he has not become a de facto adviser to Tech.
But he does have a well-considered perspective on higher education.
"The one thing I most lament about the current situation in American higher education is the debt load students graduate with," he said. "I don't think anyone has measured the impact on lives.''
Consider graduating with $40,000 to $50,000 in student loans.
"That's twice what we paid for our first house," Wilson said. On top of that comes the "real ripple of concern throughout the professional private sector that jobs are not secure."
But there are still sure signs of hope out there, such as Microsoft's Bill Gates.
"I'm not as pessimistic as some," Wilson said. "There's still tremendous opportunity for entrepreneurial people in this society to capture something unique and go forward.''
"We also keep saying this is the first generation that will not do as well as their parents. I still think there are plenty of opportunities for young people to do well and get ahead.
As for the topic of his speech today, here's what Wilson says:
"I'm really going to talk about some of the similarities and differences between VPI 20 years ago and Virginia Tech today. I'll try to talk about the personal accomplishments of people in the class, thank the parents - and get off the stage."
LENGTH: Medium: 76 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: headshot of Wilsonby CNB