Rector of the College Susan Aheron Magill praised Sullivan’s presidency as one that helped transform a “strong Virginia college into a world-class university.” Citing a raft of achievements -- including a 40-percent increase in applications for admission, significant enhancement of the intellectual quality of the student body, the doubling of research funding, a 282-percent increase in the college endowment and a heightening of William and Mary’s national and international visibility -- Magill said, “Tim Sullivan has demonstrated that nothing short of the best is acceptable.”

The rector went on to say that the college will begin immediately to conduct a worldwide search for “an extraordinary woman or man to lead William and Mary into the future.” Magill’s goal is to have Sullivan’s successor named by the spring of 2005.

The announcement came in the Great Hall of the historic Sir Christopher Wren Building with six former rectors of the College in attendance. Also present was Sullivan’s wife, Anne Klare Sullivan -- a member of William and Mary’s class of 1966 -- as well as a group of faculty, administrators and friends.

Even as Sullivan signaled his intention to step down, he declared that he has no intention of retiring and that he will focus his energy during the remainder of his tenure to advance several projects critical to William and Mary’s continued success.

Stating that “the phrase ‘lame duck’ is not in my vocabulary,” Sullivan said he will devote the final year of his presidency to “maintaining the momentum of the Campaign for William and Mary, changing our relationship with the Commonwealth and working to make more excellent William and Mary’s core educational programs.”

Saying that “Anne and I together will be seeking yet one more adventure,” Sullivan indicated that he was not certain at present what direction his future will take, but he said that he was looking forward with “confidence and enthusiasm to a life of new challenges and opportunities.”

Magill singled out Sullivan’s dedication to the distinctive characteristics that comprise “the extraordinary William and Mary experience,” specifically the close teaching relationships between faculty and students, strong sense of campus community and rigorous undergraduate and graduate/professional curricula that have received high national rankings during Sullivan’s presidency. The institution is now consistently ranked the best small public university in the nation – a goal that Sullivan articulated early in his presidency.

Finally, the rector paid tribute to the impact of Sullivan’s leadership beyond the campus: “Your courage – in the face of often intense pressure – has helped call public attention to the fact that increased appropriations for higher education are the most valuable investments in the future that the Commonwealth of Virginia can make. Recent actions of the Governor and General Assembly suggest that your message may be taking hold, as Virginia has begun to reinvigorate its financial commitment to higher education.”

Magill also highlighted the critical role of Sullivan’s wife, Anne, in enhancing the college’s warm and caring atmosphere: “She added her own flair to the public and private events that make visits to campus so special. For me, she will always be the First Lady of William and Mary.”

In his remarks, Sullivan gave much of the credit for William and Mary’s recent progress to “the devotion of a brilliant faculty, the exceptional commitment of our staff and the inspirational impact of a student body that has no peer.” He also expressed his gratitude to “thousands of alumni and friends who have helped and encouraged me in more ways than I can count.”

In explaining his decision to leave at this time, Sullivan said that, “we all know that change is essential if great institutions are to remain great. William and Mary is a great university. It must remain so. While it is very hard for me to say, I know that the time has come when the best way I can serve William and Mary is to leave it.”

An Ohio native, Sullivan entered William and Mary as a freshman in 1962. After receiving his bachelor’s degree and Phi Beta Kappa key in 1966, Sullivan earned a law degree from Harvard University and served in the U. S. Army Signal Corps in Vietnam. In 1972, he was appointed assistant professor at the William and Mary School of Law, where he rose through the academic ranks to become a full professor in 1977.

After serving for nearly three years as executive assistant for policy for then-Governor Charles S. Robb, Sullivan returned to the school of law in 1984 as the John Stewart Bryan Professor of Jurisprudence. He became law dean in July 1985, a post he held until the Board of Visitors elected him 25th president of William and Mary on April 9, 1992.

During Sullivan’s tenure, the college recruited Margaret, the Lady Thatcher and Henry A. Kissinger to serve successively as chancellor of the institution, conducted a major celebration marking the 300th anniversary of its founding and completed the Campaign for the Fourth Century which raised $153 million. All ten of William and Mary’s largest gifts were received during the current presidency, including a record $21-million commitment establishing the College Scholars Program, a merit scholarship program for exceptional students.

Since 1992, William and Mary has occupied 11 new and/or renovated buildings, including the University Center, Chesapeake Bay Hall of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and the newly completed Swem Library. The college also secured more than $60 million for new capital projects through a state bond campaign.

Magill admitted that attracting an individual to follow Sullivan would be challenging, but she said, “We will cast a wide net, tell William and Mary’s story persuasively and eventually entice one of the most capable individuals to lead the university in its fourth century of service.”

Soon, she plans to name a search committee comprised of board members, faculty, students and alumni – a group that, according to Magill, will “represent William and Mary’s varied and rich interests, talents, cultures and values.” She will chair the committee that will make its recommendations to the Board of Visitors, charged with making the final decision.

The committee will solicit nominations and applications from all interested parties.