Former University President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg’s ranking in the Chronicle of Higher Education as the country’s highest paid former official attracted national media attention Monday.

The New York Times mentioned Trachtenberg’s No. 1 ranking, and noted the president emeritus was one of just three former officials to receive more than $1 million in 2007-2008. The story led on The Washington Post’s local news homepage early Monday morning, with the headline “Ex-president of GWU leads in pay survey.”

The Associated Press also reported on the ranking, the first time the Chronicle has ranked former official pay, and the story was reproduced on The Los Angeles Times Web site and 28 other media outlets, according to a Google News search Monday morning.

Trachtenberg received more than $3.6 million in compensation from the University, The Hatchet reported in June. The $3.6 million figure was a “one-time lump sum payment” from the University when Trachtenberg retired in 2007, after serving as president for nearly two decades, said Assistant Vice President for Communications Sarah Baldassaro, in an article in Monday’s paper.