by Mike Matzinger
Scouting alum Dr. E. Gordon Gee, President Emeritus of West Virginia University, has been named the 31st recipient of the Distinguished Citizen Award for Berkeley County. The award is presented by the Shenandoah Area Council’s Potomac District, Scouting America.
Recently retired after his second tenure as WVU president, Dr. Gee has spent more than four decades as a national leader in higher education, serving as president of The Ohio State University, Vanderbilt University, Brown University, and the University of Colorado. In 2009, Time magazine named him one of the top ten university presidents in the United States.
An Eagle Scout from Vernal, Utah, Dr. Gee has devoted nearly 50 years to adult service in Scouting. He currently serves on the National Executive Board of Scouting America and has received both the Silver Buffalo Award and the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. He has been a strong advocate for leadership development, helping advance academic programs that prepare young people for professional careers in Scouting and strengthening partnerships with Scouting’s national high-adventure programs.
This recognition reflects a lifetime of leadership, service, and belief in the power of Scouting to shape lives, strengthen communities, and prepare young people to lead with purpose.