Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak to remain Hillsdale College chairman after show departure
Misty Severi
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Longtime Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak will remain the chairman of the board for Hillsdale College after he leaves the beloved game show at the conclusion of its 41st season later this year.
Sajak, who announced his departure from the show on Monday, has led the game show alongside Vanna White since 1983.
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“Well, the time has come. I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last,” Sajak tweeted. “It’s been a wonderful ride, and I’ll have more to say in the coming months. Many thanks to you all.”
https://twitter.com/PatOnWheel/status/1668392962534043648
The game show host became the chairman of the Board of Trustees for Hillsdale in 2019, replacing William Brodbeck, who retired. Sajak had served as the vice president of the board since 2003.
Hillsdale honored Sajak in a statement to the Washington Examiner on Thursday, praising his “well-deserved” retirement.
“For decades, Pat Sajak has been an icon of radio and television. There are few things more intimate than appearing in the living rooms of countless Americans every evening. We know that he will be missed and congratulate him on his well-deserved retirement,” Emily Stack Davis, the executive director of media relations and communications for Hillsdale, said.
She continued, “Hillsdale College is fortunate to have an even closer relationship with Mr. Sajak. Since 2019, we have benefitted from his wisdom, intellect, and good humor as chairman of Hillsdale’s board of trustees. We look forward to continuing our important work together and to what we are sure will be a bright future for Mr. Sajak and his family.”
White praised Sajak’s dedication to the show for the past 40 years following his announcement.
“When we started @WheelofFortune who could have imagined we’d still be at it 41 seasons later?” White tweeted on Tuesday. “I couldn’t be happier to have shared the stage with you for all these years with one more to come. Cheers to you, @patsajak!”
Other major players in the series are also leaving the show this year, including director Bob Ennis, and contestant co-producer Jackie Lamatis. Ennis has worked on the show since 1983, and worked as director since 2015.
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Hillsdale is a small private, conservative liberal arts college in Hillsdale, Michigan, located about 70 miles southwest of Ann Arbor. The school is one of a handful of colleges in the United States that does not accept any federal funding.
Sajak’s daughter Maggie, and former Live with Kelly and Ryan host Ryan Seacrest are rumored to be considered as Sajak’s replacement. Maggie Sajak works as a social correspondent for the game show, but stepped in for White earlier this year.