“Excellent appointments, increased international engagement, a complete sensitivity to the delicate ecology of a university, and total fidelity to the central mission of teaching and learning—all of these are the legacy of Bill and JoAn Chace.”

—Emory Board of Trustees Chair Ben F. Johnson III, managing partner of the law firm of Alston and Bird and chair of the search committee for a new president.

“There was a lot of fear that, with the emphasis on research, teaching might be shoved aside. While Dr. Chace continued to support the development of the overall quality of the institution, he certainly brought a renewed emphasis on teaching because he himself is such a committed teacher.”

—Billy E. Frye, former Emory provost and chancellor.

“President Chace has been the successful champion of uniting good teaching and research, celebrating diversity and inclusiveness among our student body, and developing marvelous facilities. He has a gift for helping students, faculty, staff, and alumni feel like proud stakeholders in the future of Emory.”

—John L. Ford, senior vice president and dean for campus life.

“One hallmark of Bill Chace’s presidency has been his accessibility. He’s particularly open to meeting with students to learn about their ideas and hopes for Emory. Teaching has been a constant and vital part of his job, and he’s obviously energized and inspired by students in the classroom.”

—Marion L. Dearing, executive assistant to the president.

“Last fall my wife, Peggy, and I were paddling around Stone Mountain Lake in her tandem kayak and we passed alongside the Emory Crew boat house. There we saw one of the boats on the dock. On the bow was painted its name, ‘Chace This!’ For me it captured something of what Bill Chace is about as a leader: row for all you’re worth, and keep perspective about it.”

—Paul Courtright, professor in the Department of Religion

“Bill helped create the Clairmont Campus, which is an outstanding residential complex for students that has few equals in the country, and promises to provide a new kind of integration of intellectual and social life for students.”

—Professor of Anthropology Bradd Shore, director of the Center for Myth and Ritual in American Life and professor at the Clairmont Campus

“I think Bill’s finest hour was his steadfast determination to protect freedom from prejudice in matters of sexual orientation along with our already established openness in matters of race, gender, religion, and ethnicity. Emory is a more diverse and accepting community now than it was, and Bill deserves much credit for that.”

—Robert Paul, dean of Emory College

“Replacing parking spaces with benches and plants will be a lasting contribution of Bill Chace’s. I also appreciated his effort to meet with people on campus. I remember him throwing [a] Frisbee to anyone who wanted to join in on the Quad, all in his intent to make the Emory campus more congenial and communal.”

—Professor of Psychology Philippe Rochat

“Because Bill Chace cares about teaching and appreciates its potency in a residential college, he easily understood the mission of Oxford and he worked to bring Emory’s home campus closer to the eight schools in Druid Hills. The inclusion of Oxford in Emory’s Master Plan allowed for a stunning improvement and expansion of its facilities.”

—Oxford College Dean and Chief Executive Officer Dana Greene ’71G

“President Chace brings a wonderful sense of excitement to scholarship. Whenever he speaks, his enthusiasm carries the topic. His energy makes the simplest issue sound astounding. I have learned from his lead.”

—Stuart Zola, neuroscientist and director Yerkes National Primate Research Center

“Soon after I arrived at Emory, Bill Chace spoke at grand rounds on the psychiatric history and treatment of poet Ezra Pound. A natural teacher, Bill enthralled the doctors and medical students with his fabled eloquence and wide-ranging scholarship.”

—Michael Johns, executive vice president for health affairs

“When Bill became president, one of the first things he said to senior staff was, ‘I’m going to be communicating with you by e-mail, so if you’re not computer-literate, get that way.’ He always responded to e-mail from students and faculty. Always.”