William Ayers, education professor and former Vietnam War era radical, is planning to retire after more than 20 years at the University of Illinois at Chicago, a top school official confirmed today. The retirement will be official within the next couple of weeks, said UIC Education Dean Vicki Chou.The school has faced its share of negative attention because of Ayers, a former member of the Weather Underground. The radical group was responsible for a number of bombings, including one in a Pentagon bathroom.
Ayers' retirement had nothing to do with the negative press, Chou said, adding that the university will miss him. "It will be more than a ripple because he's made a significant mark here," Chou said. "He's been really a very good colleague here. He has hundreds of students who really cherish that they've had the experience of being taught by him."