A day after accepting President Bush's nomination as ambassador to Canada, he told House members that he wouldn't coast to the finish.

"I can't tell you how hard it is going to be to say goodbye to all of you," he said Thursday. "But now is not the time for goodbyes. ... We do have five weeks to go, and I plan to stay focused."

Lawmakers have sensed for a month that Wilkins' 11-year tenure at the helm of the House was nearing an end. He is the third-longest- serving speaker in state history, and members showed their appreciation Thursday with a one-minute standing ovation that brought tears to Wilkins' eyes.

His colleagues were eager to reflect on his quarter century of service in the Legislature.

Republican lawmakers said he would go down in history with South Carolina's other great statesmen.

"He leaves big shoes to fill," said Speaker Pro Tem Doug Smith, R-Spartanburg. "It's never easy on anybody to have to follow a great leader like David Wilkins."

And Democrats, who often disagreed with him, said they couldn't help but respect his ability to rally his troops behind a conservative agenda.

"Wilkins has had a very successful career as speaker," said Blease Graham, a S.C. politics expert at the University of South Carolina. "He would rank among the most successful speakers in the contemporary era."

Wilkins, 58, has known for at least two months he was being considered for the Canadian ambassadorship, even though the White House didn't make it official until 3 p.m. Wednesday.

Once word of the nomination was released later that night, he seemed visibly relieved.

By Thursday afternoon, though, it was clear the short honeymoon was over.

There was no time to admire the plaques, editorial cartoons and pictures that hung on his office walls.

A long list of phone calls from Canadian reporters still needed to be returned. The State Department called with a question about his medical form. "We still have a lot of homework to do," an aide said.

The South Carolina native must now bone up about international trade issues concerning his new home country. The Canadian reporters all wanted to know about his thoughts on the timber industry and border security.

He just wanted a timeout.

WITNESS TO CHANGE

But in all his years serving District 24, he rarely got a break.

When Wilkins first joined the House in 1981, he was one of 18 Republicans facing a powerful 106 member Democratic majority.

"The Republicans were hardly a footnote," he said. "But every year we grew."

Now he is one of 75 GOP members who outnumber Democrats 3 to 2 in the House.

Many credit that revolution to Wilkins, who worked tirelessly as speaker to elect new Republican members.

"David Wilkins has always ... realized that it is bigger than just one person or one Republican," said Katon Dawson, the state party chairman. "He's always said it is about ideas."

Controlling a majority wasn't always easy, Wilkins found, as tough issues like the Confederate Flag and video poker surfaced in 2000.

He often took to the House floor, using his impressive oratory skills to influence the votes. When that didn't work, Republicans used an iron fist to rule.

"I hope that the steady leadership I've provided the House over the last 11 years during some pretty tumultuous times" is my greatest accomplishment, Wilkins said.

His leadership didn't go unnoticed. A year later the late Sen. Strom Thurmond offered the Greenville lawyer a federal district judgeship. That same year Bush wanted him as ambassador to Chile.

But Wilkins says he felt called to the task in front of him. Election redistricting and the state lottery were coming to the forefront at the time.

"I was very tempted to take that judgeship but on the Monday morning when I finally got ready to say 'yes,' I just couldn't do it," he said. "And then a couple months later the possibility of the ambassadorship came up, and again, I just didn't feel comfortable leaving the House.

"I know no one is indispensable, but I felt like the House needed me at that time."

THE RIGHT TIMING

Wilkins says he doesn't regret staying and feels like now he's going out on top.

Even though the Legislature is just four months into a two-year session, Wilkins has repeatedly called this the most successful one to date.

"It's wonderful to have an opportunity when you can leave a situation and feel like you are leaving it good shape and when you are still very much on top of your game," he said.

The perks of being speaker are so enjoyable that some wonder why he'd want to leave, not that a 32-room limestone mansion in Ottawa is shabby.

Wilkins said he didn't want to overstay his welcome as speaker and always envisioned climbing one more rung of the political ladder.

"I guess I am the classic overachiever," he said. "I've always thought about the next challenge. At the same time, I've never found I job I've loved more than speaker of the South Carolina House."