A long-time Iowa State professor is leaving campus. John McCully, an assistant professor of English, is retiring to become a full-time deacon of the Catholic church.

The Archbishop of the Diocese of Dubuque asked McCully to become full time. McCully said he was “wide open” to anything the Archbishop asked of him.

“What I will be doing is a continuation of what I’ve been doing all along,” McCully said.

He has been teaching for 41 years. He has been teaching at ISU since 1968. Prior to his career at ISU, he was an undergraduate assistant for two years at Mississippi College, an undergraduate assistant and part-time instructor at the University of Mississippi and an instructor at Mississippi State University. McCully also was a graduate fellow and a teaching fellow at Rice University in Texas.

“It’s always new. It’s never routine. It’s an adventure,” he said.

McCully specializes in medieval studies, but he has taught many different courses similar to his emphasis and beyond, such as business communication, Bible studies, Shakespeare and Chaucer.

He also asked to teach Introduction to Literature because he enjoys teaching students about literary works.

He said he feels as though the authors and characters in the books he teaches are his friends. In fact, he said, he knows them better than his own friends.

Besides becoming a full-time deacon, McCully has not decided what else he will do now that he is retired.

He said he has been living “minute to minute.” McCully taught a new course this year and the preparation for that class has kept him “too busy to think about retirement.”

There will be a reception held in McCully’s honor at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 12, in the Campanile Room of the Memorial Union. Students, faculty and people of the community will be present.

A fellow colleague, Susan Yager, assistant professor of English, has a common interest with McCully in medieval studies. She said it has been a pleasure to be able to speak with him on the subject.

Yager said McCully is a “most welcoming person” and that he made her feel at home when she first arrived at the university.

She also said he has a ” wealth of friends and colleagues. He is fun, he works really hard and he is generous.” She said McCully will be missed by faculty and students.

Susan Carlson, professor of English, said she has known McCully for 16 years. She said he is “joyous, committed and dedicated to teaching his students.”

McCully said he enjoyed the time he spent teaching at Iowa State.

“I’ve loved the material I’ve taught. I’ve loved the people I’ve taught. My choice was right,” he said. “I’d do it again.”