"I am retiring now because it's the right time for both me and the school," said Wade, who prior to joining SAS, served as chaplain of the National Cathedral School in Washington, D.C.

Wade took on leadership of the newly combined school of Sewanee Academy (formerly Sewanee Military Academy) and St. Andrew's School, in 1981.

"This school came out of a merger in 1981 of two really difficult schools," explained Wade. "It was thought that it wouldn't survive, but we proved them wrong."

Sewanee Academy was a prep school for wealthy southern Episcopal boys. It believed in discipline, and assuming one's rightful place in southern society. St. Andrew's School was founded by the Order of the Holy Cross and set out to provide education to the barefoot boys of Appalachia. It was one of the first boarding schools in the south to admit black students.

"I know full well of both the promise and the challenge facing the school in the early years of the merger," said Pat Bassett, president of the National Association of Independent Schools.

He credits Wade's leadership with SAS emerging "stronger and more distinguished."

Today, SAS is a private co-educational day and boarding college preparatory school that serves nearly 300 students in grades 6 through 12. During Wade's tenure SAS was named a "Ten Top Value in Boarding Schools" by Money magazine and one of 79 schools which "point the way to the education systems of the future," by Omni magazine. He also led the school through two successful capital campaigns.

"Over the years, the world of Episcopal schools has learned something that is patently obvious and is a true point of pride for the St. Andrew's-Sewanee community: Bill Wade teaches and leads through himself, and by virtue of himself," said the Rev. Daniel R. Heischman, executive director of the National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES), who called Wade's presence "deep" and his dedication to those things that matter to school and church "untiring."

"We have been blessed on the national level by his rare, compassion-filled, and commanding ability to lead," he said.

Wade served as NAES president from 1988-1990 and in 2000 was only the fourth recipient of the Ruth Jenkins Award for exemplary service to the NAES.

"Bill Wade's retirement from St. Andrew's-Sewanee marks the end of an incredible period of service and leadership for SAS and the wider community of Episcopal schools," said Peter Cheney, former executive director of NAES. "He is one of the finest priests, educators and leaders of this generation."

The impact of Wade's work will not be forgotten at SAS. The board of trustees recently announced that a new science building and scholarship fund for low income students will be named in his honor.

Ground will be broken this month for the Wade Hall for the Sciences. Doug Campbell, a 1959 SMA alumnus from Naples, Florida, and a longtime trustee, has made a $1 million lead gift for the state of the art science building, and trustee Doug Ferris of Memphis, Tennessee made a $500,000 challenge. SAS must raise $1 million to match Ferris' gift.

The 10,000-square-foot science facility will abut the main academic center and the adjoining woodlands. It will contain six teaching laboratories for chemistry, biology, physics, field geology, environmental science, and the Middle School. A science commons with an atrium, a central courtyard, and attached greenhouse are unique features of the environmentally-focused facility. The Board of Trustees also authorized the school to move forward with LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) planning.
 
The William S. Wade Fund for Financial Aid will honor Wade's commitment to the school's mission of providing educational opportunities for families who would have no hope of an independent education for their sons and daughters. Two former parents, who wish to remain anonymous, pledged the initial $1 million.

"Fr. Wade has led St. Andrew's-Sewanee School with exemplary devotion, and his gifts of himself have served the Sewanee community and the University of the South extraordinarily well," said Joel Cunningham, vice chancellor of the University of the South. "The University is in his debt, and all of us on the Mountain will continue to be blessed by the benefits he has made possible here."

Wade said he wants to be remembered as being part of a school that focused on the "essence of the church that is the kids." He hopes the school will continue to live out that basic mission and move forward in development.

"We came out of chaos and I've often felt that maybe that's the reason that we've been a school that's been willing to look at itself and try to be very intentional about improving and stretching," he explained.

Wade's successor will be the Rev. John Taliaferro Thomas, currently serving as chaplain at St. Andrew's Episcopal School in Potomac, Maryland. He will assume leadership at SAS on July 1.

Wade and his wife, Joan, will continue to reside in Sewanee.