By Eric Stock

BLOOMINGTON – Illinois Wesleyan’s outgoing president is looking back on his legacy.

Dick Wilson says it’s less about bricks and mortar and more on dollars and cents. Wilson told WJBC Scott Laughlin, aside from all the physical changes on campus, he points to the Transforming Lives fundraising campaign, which he said had an uncertain start because of the economic downtown.

PODCAST: Listen to Scott and Colleen’s interview with Wilson on WJBC.

“There was an issue, should we go, should we not go, and I said ‘We’ve prepared everyone and I think our alums are going to be loyal and we are going make it, maybe not on the schedule we have in mind, but we’ll get there,’ ” Wilson said. “I remember distinctly one of the trustees looked at me and said ‘Well, Dick, it’s your neck.”

The campaign which wrapped up last year raised $141 million, $16 million more than the goal.

Wilson says a sign of the school’s impact across the generations, Wesleyan recently had three Emmy award winners announced from the 1960s, 70s and 80s; Richard Jenkins, Kevin Dunn and Kat White and MacArthur Fellow grant winner Juan Salgado from the 1990s.

Wilson exits on Nov. 1. Eric Jensen takes over as IWU’s 19th president then. Wilson was asked what advise he would offer him.

“Take your inspiration from what happens to students on campus, ” Wilson said.

Wilson said he plans to spend the next year away from Bloomington-Normal to avoid casting a shadow during the start of Jensen’s term, though he said he his wife Pat plan to live in Bloomington.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].