Gustavus Adolphus College has ended its nationwide search for a new president by selecting one 130 miles away.

Jack Ohle, president of Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, becomes the school’s 15th president.

The 60-year-old Ohle (OH-lee), will begin his new duties July 1. He will succeed James Peterson, who is retiring after five years as president.

Ohle, introduced to the public Friday at Gustavus, said his initial meetings with faculty and staff already makes the campus feel like home.

“Gustavus Adolphus College is more than I ever thought it would be, and I’ve known it for years,” he said. “I knew Gustavus was great. I had a son go here, and he just loved it.

“This is a great opportunity for us, and I know we’re going to have a great time.”

Ohle has served as Wartburg president for the past decade. The two schools are similar in that both are small private colleges in rural Midwestern towns, and both are affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Before going to Wartburg, Ohle served as an administrator at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, for 11 years.

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