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Floor Speech

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Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. President, I rise today to honor a dear friend of mine who has dedicated nearly two decades of his life to the service of our great State of West Virginia and, really, to the betterment of our students seeking higher education; the man who has been President of more universities than anyone else in the world--Dr. E. Gordon Gee, president of West Virginia University, who retired this week.

Dr. Gee--or Gordon, as we call him--was fortunate to serve two tenures as President of WVU, first from 1981 to 1985 and, again, from 2013 to 2025, where he brought his strong desire for community and his absolute love of education to our home among the hills in West Virginia in Morgantown.

I know I speak for everyone when I say how much we will miss his signature bow ties--and I think he must have thousands of them--and his love for athletics, which has led him to be a leader, not just at WVU and his other schools but also at the NCAA. You know, he even offered to suit up for the WVU football team, although he is quick to admit he is not much of an athlete. But he has such infectious energy and thoughtful guidance, and his legacy will be felt at WVU for generations to come.

To understand the impact that Gordon has made on West Virginia, I must expand on what WVU really means to our State and people far outside our borders. WVU was established in 1867, initially named the Agricultural College of West Virginia. It became our State's first public land-grant university. Since then, individuals from across our State, country, and world, have become Mountaineers, and many are WVU grads, including many members of my family.

There are a couple of things I must note about WVU. First of all, Mountaineers are everywhere. There isn't a town across West Virginia or an airport across the country--and I would even say the world--where you don't see the trademark blue and gold Flying WV logo or hear ``Country Roads'' being played. Mountaineers serve as a point of pride to our State and bring recognition to the wonderful people, passion, culture, and history that we have in our State of West Virginia.

Second, Mountaineers are changing the world. Across WVU's 13 colleges and schools--whether it is engineering, agriculture, law, or medicine-- Mountaineers are making a difference. WVU is the State's only institution to hold the title of an R1 university, the benchmark that recognizes exceptional research capacity. This is a status that WVU received in 2016 under Gordon's leadership.

Gordon's connection to West Virginia isn't just a professional one; it is a personal one too. He chose to return to West Virginia, not once but twice, because he believes in West Virginia, our people, and WVU. When he speaks of his love and passion for our State, it is unmistakably heartfelt. Gordon believes in the power of education. And that belief has left its mark, not only on Morgantown but across every corner of our great State and, honestly, across the country.

When Gordon became president of WVU the first time in 1981, he was only 37 years old. When he returned to Blaney House--which is the residence of the president--in 2013, I will say he came back seasoned with the experience and perspective that WVU really needed.

Through the foundation of his four pillars--education, healthcare, prosperity, and purpose--Gordon has guided WVU through both times of success and tumult, including through a global pandemic. He made education for our children in West Virginia more accessible and obtainable and moved our State toward one of his principles that Virginians should not have to leave our State's borders to receive the healthcare that they deserve.

The impact Gordon has made is apparent in many areas, but particularly noteworthy is the impact he has made through the continued expansion of WVU Medicine. As the chairman of the WVU Medicine board of directors, Gordon oversaw the addition of 20 hospitals under the WVU Medicine umbrella that span across our State and increased the capacity and research support for WVU's world-class facilities, like the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, our Cancer Institute, Heart and Vascular Institute, and new Children's Hospital.

As West Virginia's Senator, I have had the privilege to work with the wonderful and incredibly impressive people of WVU Medicine and have visited these facilities many times. Let me tell you, they are on the cutting-edge of medical achievements that will save lives and change our world. Gordon's leadership has been a critical part of this success, and it is fitting that his recently finished portrait will live at the WVU Medicine campus.

Although Gordon was born in Utah, he is the first to tell you that he is a ``born-again'' West Virginian. He has made our State his home, and the effort and energy that he puts toward benefiting the lives of his fellow West Virginians is evident.

Two of Gordon's four pillars that I mentioned earlier--purpose and prosperity--relate directly to economic development in our State. Along with the Marshall president, Brad Smith, Gordon was central to developing the First Ascent Program in West Virginia. This program connects recent WVU and Marshall graduates with workforce opportunities within our State that launch their professional careers and keep our best and brightest at home, contributing to our communities.

The dynamic duo, as I would call them, also worked together to establish Ascend West Virginia, which has been a successful effort to attract remote workers to West Virginia's mountains, highlighting the wonderful outdoor recreation opportunities that our State offers to young professionals and their family.

Additionally, Gordon has made it a priority to visit and spend time every year in all 55 counties of our State, showing the excellent work of the WVU Extension services, designed to build prosperity, enhance educational opportunities, improve health, and create purpose in communities across the entirety of our State.

While Gordon's presence as WVU President will be missed, we know that he will continue to make a difference in West Virginia. As I said when I started this speech, the legacy he built will continue to be felt for generations to come.

I know that I join Gordon and our State when I say we look forward to the leadership and experience that the new WVU president, Michael Benson, brings to Morgantown. In a recent article published at the WVU Magazine, I found the advice that Gordon gave to his successor to be wise, true, and eloquent:

If you love the state and its people, they will love you back.

And that has certainly been the case for Dr. E. Gordon Gee and the time he has spent in Morgantown.

On a personal note, Charlie and I have been the recipients of emails, texts, and letters from Gordon that have lifted us up in tough times and, really, in good times, as well. I have leaned on Gordon's counsel as I have made difficult decisions. And he has always taken the time to give me very thoughtful advice. Both Charlie and I can safely say our lives have been enhanced by Gordon and by the friendship that we have fostered with him and Laurie.

Here in the U.S. Senate--and as I look at the President of the Senate, I know this is true of you, being from Ohio--there are many Members here in the U.S. Senate that have Gordon on speed dial. But I am eternally grateful we West Virginians are the ones who get to claim him.

Gordon, I wish you the best in your next chapter. And I have heard him talk about his retirement. He always reminds everybody, ``I have not died. I have not died.'' But I hope you enjoy the well-deserved time that you can now spend with your Laurie, who has made an incredible mark on our State and the university alongside you, as well as your daughter Rebekah and those two beautiful young twin granddaughters whom you love so dearly.

Thank you, Gordon, for all you have done for WVU, West Virginia, all of your leadership, your vision, your heart, your sense of humor, and all that you have done for our State and our people, those of us, like you, who call it home.

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