Dr. Phil Dudley, president of HC, has spent the past 37 years becoming a very popular man on campus. His philosophies about the college, his generosity and, of course, his well-known bird legs have caught the attention of countless individuals who have connections to HC.
Despite his popularity with the students, Dr. D. has decided to leave the limelight and will be retiring as president of HC, effective July 2011.
"We've had 14 presidents (at HC) and the place has been here since 1882, so I think this is an opportunity for a new person to have a different vision about the college," Dudley said, who never expected to be a college president.
Dudley officially began his career at HC in 1973 and has since moved through the jobs of an assistant football coach, professor of economics, assistant to the president, vice president and president.
"I know about 70-80 percent of our living alumni, we have about 11,000 living alumni and I've taught about 20 percent of them," Dr. Dudley said.
He is planning to use these connections to help with future fundraising, even when he is not physically at the college.
"The board has asked me to stay on as President Emeritus, and we're going to try to do some foundation work and development fundraising," Dudley said.
The president will be moving to Omaha with his wife to be closer to two of his sons.
In the meantime, Dudley remains hopeful about the future months and is enjoying the time he spends reflecting on the past years.
"I've had more than 500 e-mails in three days from alumni, parents and students," Dudley said, "And they are wonderful, and they are lovely." He frequently saves his thank you notes and has framed pictures of past students decorating the walls of his office.
"I will really miss interacting with students more than anything," he said. "My wife and I love to go to events and watch HC students flourish and I enjoy being apart of that."
"I won't be able to do that in Omaha, those days will be gone," he said. "I can come back to campus once in a while, but it won't be the same. That part of leaving will be difficult for me, but we'll just have to deal with it."
Dudley recalled two incidents in his past experiences at HC when students have told him that he has "exceeded my expectations." It is moments like those, when students have done something unexpected, that have remained in his memory throughout the years.
Dudley's love for HC has grown since he met his first student 37 years ago and his admiration of the college is apparent in his policies.
"If you look at our vision, if you look at our mission and everything we do, the purpose is to serve the students," he said. "The college exists only for that reason."
Joan Primrose, a secretary in the president's office since 1995, has worked with Dr. Dudley since he became president in 2000.
"It's been great working with him," Primrose said. "I respect him greatly."
