Last week, the Missouri Southern Board of Governors named former University President Julio León president emeritus.

This is a nice and, more importantly, appropriate move.

In his 25 years here, León presided over incredible growth. The growth can be measured in terms of buildings. It can be measured in terms of enrollment. It can be measured in terms of academic programs.

What cannot be quantified, however, are the ways he impacted the University in terms of our graduates’ accomplishments. In the past quarter of a century, imagine the graduates who have affected area businesses. Imagine those who have worked and travelled abroad as part of the international mission.

León realized that such a mission would ultimately be measured not by the faculty and staff and administration that travelled abroad to implement it. It wouldn’t even be measured by the international students brought here to study.It would be measured by the students who went beyond our borders as the University’s ambassadors.

We think he also realized that Southern would go on after his time here. And we are glad that Dr. Terri Agee has moved into his place during the search process. She has provided continuity and support for existing programs and has rallied the campus in support of academics, athletics and the administration.