COLUMBUS -- Ohio State University President E. Gordon Gee has far outpaced the state's governors in travel costs since 2007, with bills that total at least $844,000 and include trips to China and Europe, a newspaper analysis found.

The Dayton Daily News said it tallied the expenses for Mr. Gee's travel using financial disclosure statements and limited information from the university, which didn't include some information that probably would raise the total.

By comparison, state plane flights for Govs. Ted Strickland and John Kasich and their entourages have totaled about $188,000 in taxpayer expenses since 2007.

Mr. Gee's contract calls for first-class domestic flights, business-class flights for international travel, and access to corporate jet travel.

The extensive travel, which is paid for with unrestricted endowment funds instead of tax or tuition money, was undertaken for fund-raising.

The school said that despite the recession, Mr. Gee has raised nearly $1.5 billion while at the school.

Records indicate other institutions, including the University of Michigan and the University of Virginia, have raised similar amounts or more while spending less on travel, the newspaper said.

First Published May 8, 2012, 4:00 a.m.