T.K. Wetherell Becomes No.13

"The right president at the right time." That's how Thomas Kent "T.K." Wetherell was described by supporters when he was named as Florida State's 13th president last December. On Jan. 2, Wetherell began his tenure as Florida State's 13th president, succeeding Sandy D'Alemberte who retired after nine years in the post. A former speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, the Daytona Beach native holds three degrees from FSU, where in the 1960s he also was a football standout. From 1995 to 2001, Wetherell served as president of Tallahassee Community College, the highest of numerous education posts he previously had held in Florida. During his legislative days, Wetherell ran interference for a variety of FSU causes, not the least of which was construction of the University Center, an edifice that bears his name. T.K.—as he prefers to be called—is married to Virginia ("Ginger"), a former lawmaker from Pensacola and state agency head. The couple commutes daily from their country home near the small town of Capps, about 25 miles east of campus.

What is your favorite leisure-time activity?
Walking in the woods and watching a sunrise on a cold fall morning or watching a full moon rise on a warm summer evening. Just being free and outside.

Who are the national U.S. political figures (past and present) you most admire?
For the past, George Washington. He made sure our democracy was not about royalty. Contemporary, Gerald Ford. He might not have been the greatest president but he pardoned Nixon and got the country to refocus. It was not popular and cost him an election but it was the best thing for the country.

Who is the national U.S. political figure (past or present) you admire least? Nixon—enough said.

On a scale of one to 10, how important is it these days for a university to have a winning sports program?
Everything you try should to do should be a 10. College athletic programs have become a university's most public window on society. Americans like to win—therefore we need to play hard, fair, with character and win.

What are your most marked characteristics?
Loyalty, hard work, never giving up, speaking out and trying to make a difference.

Who are your heroes in real life?
My parents, Reubin Askew, Lawton Chiles, Stan Marshall, Mode Stone, Bill Peterson, Bobby Bowden, my wife and my chocolate lab, Bear.

What is your motto?
If you going to do it, do it to the best of your ability—and do it right.

What do you despise most about American politics?
The money.

What are the qualities you like most in people?
Honesty and loyalty.

When you travel for leisure, what is your favorite destination?
Montana and the Rocky Mountains.

What's your favorite meal?
Fried chicken with lumpy mashed potatoes, field peas, iced tea and mama's cherry pie.

What's your favorite TV program?
The History Channel, West Wing and any John Wayne movie.

Who are some of your favorite musical artists?
Shania Twain, Oak Ridge boys, Alabama, George Strait, Bruce Springsteen.

What's the most challenging thing you've faced about fund-raising for higher education?
Making folks understand that it's OK to give in these difficult financial times—that it's only money and what matters most is what you leave behind not what you accumulate.

What do you like most about competition in the political arena?
Winning! Politics is true accountability.