MOBILE, Ala. (WPMI) - University of South Alabama President Gordon Moulton is stepping down. He will officially retired July 1st.
The news comes after Moulton announced in January he would be taking a leave of absence. He continues to recover after surgery late last year for a malignant brain tumor.
President Moulton says his health might have been a factor in the future, but says he received a lot of support from his peers to make the move, saying he's done all he could for the university in his position.
During his presidency, enrollment at the school grew to a record 15,000 and nearly doubled the number of degrees awarded.
The school has a growing football program. More than $500 million in construction projects for every program at the school have been completed.
South Alabama is now one of Mobile's most powerful economic drivers and providers of healthcare for the area. The school created USA Mitchell Center and expanded USA Children's and Women's Hospital under Moulton's watch.
Moulton says he would by lying if his decision wasn't a difficult one, but he says the school is primed for the future.
"The University of South Alabama is now competitive with the top level institutions in the country and certainly in this state. So we've been able to achieve quite a bit," said Moulton.
Moulton says his retirement certainly doesn't mean the end of his involvement with USA. He says he'll be working in the development and fundraising for the school and working on special projects.
