So much for Robert Gates' plan to retire to his home in placid Washington state.

The former defense secretary, who left the Pentagon just this summer, has taken a job as chancellor of the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va.

Gates, a 1965 graduate of William & Mary, said in a statement he's honored to return as chancellor.

"The time I spent at William and Mary as an undergraduate student shaped my life and I look forward to working with the students, staff, faculty and the William and Mary community," said Gates, who was appointed defense secretary by President George W. Bush and retained by President Obama.

The new chancellor replaces another big name, former Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

We wonder about the reaction of at least one prominent W&M graduate: Comedian/political commentator Jon Stewart.

President Obama sent out a statement praising his former top military aide: