Patty and I have been at Iowa State for over nine years, and there's enormous satisfaction for us in what has happened here. At the same time, our children are grown and we think it's time for a new challenge. Jischke said he had no intention of leaving Iowa State. The Purdue trustees were very persistent, and the more we talked, the more impressed I became with them and with Purdue. We've accomplished a lot, and it's been a total team effort.
Nobody is irreplaceable.
This is a great university, and one that can continue to grow and get better. I've believed in the aspiration to become the best land-grant university since I came to Iowa State nine years ago, and you should not let go of it, especially now, after we've come so far. The belief in Iowa State's aspiration to become the best is one of the differences Jischke made at Iowa State, according to Owen Newlin, president of the Board of Regents, State of Iowa. Not only was he successful in leading Iowa State forward, but he was successful in changing the attitude of the university. He convinced the people of Iowa State that this aspiration was the right one and that they could achieve it.