PLYMOUTH, NH -- Former Plymouth State University president, Donald Wharton of Landaff, N.H., has been honored with the Harold E. Hyde Award for Distinguished Educational Leadership. Wharton was the 13th president of Plymouth State, serving from 1993 to 2006. During his tenure he successfully advocated to change the name of the institution from Plymouth State College to Plymouth State University, reflecting the expanded range and depth of its educational opportunities. His successor, Sara Jayne Steen, said Wharton's legacy is one of leadership and accomplishment.
"Don Wharton saw that the campus could be enhanced, both programmatically and physically," Steen said, "and he created a team to help him do that. He succeeded in making the campus a university in fact as well as in name. I am proud to have been his successor and to acknowledge his role in making Plymouth State University the campus I love."
Under Wharton's leadership, the campus saw major facilities changes, including the completion of the Boyd Science Center, the Hartman Union Building, and Lamson Library and the renovation of the Draper & Maynard building. Additional improvements included a co-generation plant for electricity and heat for the campus and the conversion of town streets to campus walkways for a greener and more beautiful residential atmosphere.
Additionally, Wharton formed the President's Council to enhance Plymouth State's fundraising capacity. He also added new undergraduate programs in communications and criminal justice and adopted a new general education system, as well as increasing graduate enrollment with five new master's programs.
Harold E. Hyde, for whom the award is named, was the 10th president of Plymouth State, serving from 1951-1977. Under his leadership, Plymouth Teachers College became Plymouth State College in 1963. He led the institution through three decades of significant physical and programmatic growth, becoming known as a dean of college presidents. In the tradition of his service, the Harold E. Hyde Award honors an individual for distinguished educational leadership.
Previous Harold E. Hyde Award recipients include Dennise Maslakowski, former PSU associate vice president for the College of Graduate Studies; Virginia Barry, former PSU provost and current New Hampshire Commissioner of Education; Stanley J. Yarosewick, former president of Keene State College, and Hannah McCarthy, former president of Daniel Webster College.
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism
that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness
accounts, the history behind an article.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.