Waltrip to retire
By Alan T. Miller | The Voice | Volume 30, Issue 16
May 8, 1995
After 20 years as president of Glendale Community College, Dr. John Waltrip recently announced he will retire as soon as a replacement is found, stating simply, "it's time."
The announcement came as a surprise to many who wish, simply, "it wasn't time."
"I had over 15 phone calls in one hour alone asking me to ask Dr. Waltrip to reconsider his retirement on behalf of the PSA (Professional Staff Association)," said Scott Kozac who has known Waltrip not only as a staff member, but a student as well.
"He is what a college president should be," he said. There is not a finer person to run this campus."Long-time faculty member and math department chair Alvin Shipley holds a similar view towards Waltrip.
"I do think he is probably the best president in the district because he does speak out for educational issues, he doesn't just agree with district administration. He is going to be hard to replace, you just don't replace someone like that."
Despite the support to keep Waltrip as president, Waltrip has no intention of maintaining his position.
"I am going to be seventy years old in a couple months and if I don't get out now, I'm not going to have any time to do some things that I might like to do in my life other than work," he said.
"Twenty years in a job is probably long enough for anybody."
Born and raised in Illinois, Waltrip earned his doctorate of philosophy from the University of Missouri. He started out at GCC as a history professor. Alongside teaching, he became involved with the faculty senate where he later became President of the association, then dean of instruction and three years later, president of GCC.
Making the move from teaching to administration came naturally for Waltrip.
"Then district president Dr. Prince suggested I apply, and I really hadn't thought that much about going into administration. I never even thought I would be that welcome. I was sort of an active pain-in-the-ass faculty leader," he said.
Under his leadership, the faculty association not only rewrote the faculty personnel policy (most of which is still in effect today), they changed the way in which department chairs were selected by turning the decision over to faculty.
It was also during this his time as faculty senate president Waltrip experienced what would be his defining moment.
In a speech given at a districtwide faculty meeting with the district administration, Waltrip opened his speech by outlining the goals of the faculty association -- "power and money."
"The faculty stood up and cheered, I was sort of an overnight sensation," Waltrip said. "Of course the rest of the speech didn't stick and I went on to explain that we weren't expecting to run the district, we just wanted to be consulted with important decisions, and be included in the process and so forth."
One of those in attendance at the meeting was Shipley.
"It was probably the most exciting speech I ever heard, it came at a time when I guess the faculty needed it."
Under his leadership, Waltrip has also had the pleasure of seeing many of his deans move on to leadership roles at other campuses. Larry Christensen, president of Mesa Community College, who served as dean of administrative services is just one example.
"I think watching John care so much about an institution and commit so much to it, clearly was a role model to all the work force," Christensen said. "He kind of defined mean and lean."
Longtime History professor Donald Higgins remembers a conversation he had with Waltrip. It was during an anti-Vietnam War rally held on the main mall.
As they walked by Higgins said to Waltrip, "You know John, what the younger generation needs to teach them good old fashioned values is to live through a depression and a world war, and we walked on. Then John said, 'you know Donald, don't you think it's our job to teach them those values without making them live through it.' And I have felt through the years, many a time, that's why he is president of the college and I am still just a teacher."
Waltrip is looking forward to retirement but admits it will be an adjustment.
"It's very difficult... almost all the people I know are here. I'll miss it very much. However, I still think the time is here to pull out... before they ask me to leave."