In search of ways to respond to the reduced demand for professors, colleges and universities have recently experimented with induced early retirement. This paper analyzes the decisions and experiences of 52 academics from four universities who agreed to retire early because of increased annuities or substantial lump-sum severance payments. Only one respondent was dissatisfied with his decision to retire early; the rest were either satisfied (24%) or very satisfied (73%); 30% reported that they would have retired even earlier, had conditions been right.