Troy University Chancellor Jack Hawkins Jr., who has served the college for more than 35 years, will retire in October 2025, the college announced Tuesday.

Hawkins, a Mobile native, is the longest-serving chief executive of a public university in the country, according to the college. (The average tenure of college presidents these days is five years.) Several private school executives in the United States have served for decades, but 35 years is a rare achievement in American higher education.

He was named chancellor of the Troy University System in 1989 after nearly two decades of experience in education administration.

“The last three and a half decades have been among the most important in my lifetime and in the life my wife Janice and I have shared as a team,” Hawkins in a letter to the school community. “We are proud of the work we have done, from re-classification of the university to doctoral degree status; to the transformation of a regional institution into ‘Alabama’s International University;’ and the elevation of our Athletics Program to the highest level of college athletics. It has been a remarkable experience.”

In a news release, Gov. Kay Ivey, praised Hawkins for his leadership, noting a decades long partnership between state and university officials.

“From the classroom to the field, TROY has accomplished a great deal under the leadership of Chancellor Hawkins, and he leaves a legacy that will last for generations of students to come,” she said.

During Hawkins’ tenure, Troy’s enrollment grew from just under 5,000 students to more than 14,000, according to federal data.

The college has served students from up to 60 different countries, and awarded about 6% of degrees to international students in 2023.

In the announcement Monday, officials also pointed to the college’s growth as a research facility, multimillion dollar facilities improvements and new academic degree options.

Last year, the Alabama Commission on Higher Education approved a change that would allow the college to add more doctoral programs.

“Chancellor Hawkins has built an indelible legacy at Troy University that will stand the test of time,” said Gibson Vance, president pro-tempore of the university’s board of trustees. “He is a once in a generation leader that used his skills to improve the trajectory of thousands of students over his unprecedented tenure as Chancellor.”

Following his retirement date, Hawkins will serve as chancellor emeritus of the college.

“It will be my honor to continue supporting the Board of Trustees and my successor in any way they deem appropriate,” Hawkins said. “We have much to do from now until October of 2025, and while at that point we will be stepping away from the daily operations, our hearts will remain deeply rooted in Troy University.”