MSU President M. Peter McPherson announced today that he plans to leave his post as president on Jan. 1, 2005.

His announcement came at Friday afternoon's convocation ceremony, following a speech by National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice.

McPherson, MSU's 19th president, has been in office since Oct. 1, 1993. He and provost Lou Anna Simon are currently the longest serving president-provost pair in the Big Ten.

"Thinking about this, for (MSU First Lady) Joanne (McPherson) and myself, has been emotional and at the same time, exciting," he said before students, families, faculty and staff in Breslin Center.

He took a leave of absence from MSU during the summer of 2003 to serve as the financial coordinator for the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance.

"Iraq was a very important experience for me," he said during his address. "Both there, and after I got back, I thought a lot about what I should be doing."

McPherson said he's seeking time to work with his other interests, namely assisting in the development of Third World Countries.

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