Myles Brand is being remembered as a towering figure who redefined the role of intercollegiate athletics in higher education.

College and university presidents across the nation proclaimed the gains made during Brand’s seven-year tenure, which ended Wednesday when he died of pancreatic cancer at age 67.

“I had great expectations for the organization under Dr. Brand’s leadership and all of my expectations have been exceeded,” said Tulsa University President-emeritus Bob Lawless, who chaired the search that culminated with Brand’s selection in 2002. “He accomplished more than I would have thought possible in exerting positive influence on the national collegiate scene. If one considers that the president of the NCAA does not have a vote in the governance system and that everything achieved has to be done through persuasion and influence, his accomplishments have been almost unbelievable.”

Bowling Green State President Carol Cartwright, who chaired the Executive Committee when Brand took office, said: “Myles was absolutely committed to ensuring that the collegiate model for intercollegiate athletics was at the core of the NCAA’s values and that it was reflected in key plans and policies. He was an effective spokesperson for all of us on a broad array of issues and demonstrated great courage in addressing many that were controversial. Strong leaders like Myles make a difference every day.”

Presidents, and others, remembered Brand especially for his role in academic reform.

“Myles Brand set the standard for leadership in higher education as a professor, university president and president of the NCAA,” said Clemson University President Jim Barker, chair of the Division I Board of Directors. “His legacy in college sports will be that national academic reform would not have happened without him.”

Stephen Jordan, president of Metropolitan State College of Denver and chair of the Division II Presidents Council added: “Higher education lost an uncommon leader (Wednesday) and Division II lost a true friend. Myles Brand always reminded us that we in the NCAA are a higher education association. His passion for student welfare and success, his belief in the transformative power of intercollegiate athletics and his encouragement to focus on ‘doing the right things’ will leave a lasting legacy in the lives of Division II athletes for decades to come.”

Brand also was remembered as an effective partner and for his humanity.

“Myles Brand was a wonderful business partner, but just as important, he was a loyal and caring friend,” said CBS President Sean McManus. “He was a strong and thoughtful leader who understood that a good business relationship is based first on trust, integrity and honesty, and he was the embodiment of those qualities. Myles handled his illness with the same dignity and grace that he handled the rest of his life.”

Tennis legend and women’s rights advocate Billie Jean King, who was honored with the NCAA’s Gerald R. Ford Award in January, recalled a visit with Brand in August.

“I am so happy I was able to spend some time with President Brand last month in his office in Indianapolis where we discussed his commitment to improve the student experience for our student-athletes and hear of his desire to make sure that student athletes are treated fairly in the classroom,” King said.  “President Brand was a great listener and a caring man and while he will be missed, his legacy will live on and will continue to benefit future generations of student athletes in the classroom and on the fields and courts of play at colleges and universities all across this nation.”

Christine H.B. Grant, former director of women’s athletics at the University of Iowa and another Ford Award recipient, praised Brand for making a difference for women in college athletics.

“I appreciated his unwavering belief in educational athletics,” Grant said, “as well as his total commitment to equal opportunity for men and women and his passion for diversity in the NCAA and in our institutions. I believe that without his strong support for Title IX in the last few years, our nation may well have seen the legislation weakened in a significant fashion. His statements and actions have literally affected innumerable young girls at the high school level and thousands of young women at the collegiate level. These girls and women may not know it now, but these young people owe him an enormous debt of gratitude for the wonderful opportunities that they enjoy today and will continue to enjoy tomorrow.”

Jim Haney, executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, said: Myles ... was an immensely fair man, listened to all issues and was a compassionate leader. Myles built a platform for the future and the seeds that he planted will bear fruit for a long time. This is a sad day as we remember a man who really cared about student athletes and their academics.”

American Football Coaches Association Executive Director Grant Teaff expressed similar feelings. “Myles Brand quickly earned the respect of football coaches as his first official act as president of the NCAA was to attend the AFCA convention and speak at the Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches meeting,” Teaff said. “Myles listened, explained his position and acted. It was evident it was his goal to make every aspect of the NCAA better.”

While Brand’s record of accomplishment commanded the most attention in the wake of his death, many others recalled him on a human level.

Gary Kinkead, swimming coach at the University of Indianapolis, recalled an unexpected interaction with Brand last year.

“Dr. Brand was at the College Swim Coaches Association Convention in 2008, and he noticed that I was the swimming coach at the University of Indianapolis and came up to me,” Kinkead wrote on the NCAA’s Double-A Zone blog. “He said that since we were both from the Indianapolis area, he wanted to introduce himself to me. He did not just introduce himself, he spoke with me for a few minutes about the University of Indianapolis and the strong leadership that we had at the university. I was humbled and grateful that Dr. Brand would associate with all levels from Division I to me at a Division II institution.”

A poster identified only as “Chewie” on the Double-A Zone wrote simply: “I'm happy to say that I have Mr. Brand’s signature on my diploma from IU. Thoughts and prayers to his family.”