Myron Coulter

WAYNESVILLE - Dr. Myron L. Coulter, Chancellor of Western Carolina University from 1984 until 1994, died Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at the age of 82 after an extended battle with cancer.

Coulter, known to friends and colleagues by his nickname of "Barney," guided Western Carolina for a decade characterized by a renewed emphasis on excellence in teaching; service to the Western North Carolina region, and outreach to the international community.

During his tenure as Chancellor, the university established the Faculty Center for Teaching Excellence, later renamed the Coulter Faculty Commons for Excellence in Teaching and Learning in recognition of his support of the center's efforts both as chancellor and, upon his retirement, as Chancellor Emeritus and Distinguished University Professor.

As part of his emphasis on global outreach, Coulter led delegations to The Netherlands to establish a partnership in business education with Ho-geschool West Brabant, to China to set up agreements for educational and cultural exchange with Yunnan University, and to Thailand, Swaziland and Jamaica to create and strengthen agreements for vocational, technical and teacher training.

An active community leader, Coulter served on the Board of Directors of Western North Carolina Tomorrow, the N.C. Center for the Advancement of Teaching, N.C. Board of Science and Technology, Western North Carolina Development Association, Center for PVO/University Collaboration in De-velopment, C. J. Harris Community Hospital, Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, WCQS Public Radio, Jackson County Chamber of Commerce and the N.C. Arboretum. He was a founding member of Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Cherokee Historical Association and the Com-munity Foundation of Western North Carolina. Coulter was appointed by Governor James Hunt and renewed by Governor Mike Easley as the Found-ing Chair of the NC Certification Commission, where he served for twelve years; also served as Co-Chair for the NC Education Lottery Oversight Com-mittee, where he served for five years by appointment by NC Speaker of the House Joe Hackney; and served as a member for several years on the board of Givens Estates in Asheville and the Lake Junaluska Visioning Committee.

He served as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) in 1988-89 and was a founding member of the Board of Directors of the Cherokee Preservation Foundation. Among his other professional appointments were the Commis-sion for a Competitive North Carolina, Inter-American University Council for Economics and Social Development, and Governor's Task Force on Aquaculture.

Coulter came to WCU from Idaho State University, where he was President from 1976 to 1984. He previously served Western Michigan University in a number of administrative positions, including Vice President for Administration from 1974 to 1976; Interim President in 1974; Vice President for Institu-tional Services from 1968 to 1974; and Associate Dean and Professor of Education for the university's College of Education from 1966 to 1968.

He previously was Associate Professor of Education at The Pennsylvania State University from 1964 to 1966, Director of Penn State's Latin American Education Project from 1962 to 1963; and instructor of education at Indiana University from 1958 to 1959.
He also was an elementary school teacher in the Bloomington, Ind., Metropolitan Schools from 1954 to 1956, and an English teacher and athletics coach at Reading, Mich., Community High School from 1951 to 1952. He served in the U.S. Army from 1952 to 1954.

Coulter earned a Master's degree in Elementary Education in 1956 and Doctorate in Education in 1959, both from Indiana University. He received his Bachelor's degree in 1951 from Indiana State University, where he majored in English, Physical Education and Science in Secondary Education. He re-ceived an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters in 1982 from the College of Idaho.

A native of Albany, Ind., Coulter lived in Waynesville, North Carolina after his retirement as Chancellor. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Barbara Bolinger Coulter; twin children, Nan Elizabeth Coulter of Gastonia, North Carolina and Dr. Benjamin Coulter and his wife, Dr. Beth Coulter of Canton, North Carolina; two granddaughters Mary Elizabeth Coulter and Abigail Kristine Coulter; and one sister, Carolyn Bishop of Daleville, Indiana.

A celebration of life service will be held 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Western Carolina University Fine and Performing Arts Center.

A reception will follow immediately following the services at the F-PAC.

Memorials may be made to the Coulter Faculty Commons at Western Carolina University, c/o WCU Office of Development, 201 H.F. Robinson Building, Cullowhee, NC 28723; First United Methodist Church of Waynesville, P.O. Box 838, Waynesville, NC 28786; Christ United Methodist Church of Gastonia, 3415 Union Road, Gastonia, NC 28056; or Haywood Regional Medical Center Hospice, 560 Leroy George Drive, Clyde, NC 28786.

Wells Funeral Homes & Cremation Services of Waynesville is in charge of arrangements.

An online memorial register is available at "Obituaries" at "www.wellsfuneralhome.com"