Following President James W. Wagner’s announcement of his resignation, many in the Emory community began the long process of reflecting on his thirteen years in office.
When evaluating Wagner’s legacy, we recognize our collective memories don’t extend beyond his last few years on campus — roughly a fourth of his total term of thirteen years. Within those years, Wagner has clearly left varying, disparate impressions across campus.
When news broke on Friday that this will be Wagner’s final year, a portion of the student body immediately hearkened back to the president’s editorial in Emory Magazine that referenced the three-fifths compromise, revealing a noticeable truth: for many Emory students who have only witnessed the last quarter of the President’s tenure, Wagner’s legacy will never be able to rise above his most significant blunder.
However, it is worth noting the nuanced community reaction to the news. The quiet majority feels complete apathy toward the transition. To them, the president of the University is nothing more than a figurehead with no ascertainable influence on their daily lives.
That being said, positive reflections ruminate on campus as well. Some students champion Wagner’s unique approachability and visible presence on campus; undergraduates at other universities only have the opportunity to sneak a peek at their president at large speaking events. Several Emory students have a memory of a personal conversation with Wagner, of Wagner helping them move in freshman year or of a trip to his house for Halloween.
This year will have to be one of peering back into Emory’s past as the Wheel, the student body and the larger Emory community reflect on Wagner’s past dozen years and search for the true legacy that Wagner will leave.
The above staff editorial represents the majority opinion of the Wheel‘s editorial board.
The Emory Wheel was founded in 1919 and is currently the only independent, student-run newspaper of Emory University. The Wheel publishes weekly on Wednesdays during the academic year, except during University holidays and scheduled publication intermissions.
The Wheel is financially and editorially independent from the University. All of its content is generated by the Wheel’s more than 100 student staff members and contributing writers, and its printing costs are covered by profits from self-generated advertising sales.
