Raymond Needham

1930 - 2022

Raymond Needham
April 16, 1930 - December 12, 2022
Chandler, Arizona - Former President Ray Needham Passes Away
Raymond J. Needham, President of Tacoma Community College from 1990 to 1997, passed away on December 12. He was 92.
He began life in Bellingham on April 16, 1930. He grew up on a farm near Ferndale, and graduated from Ferndale High School. While there he developed a love for agriculture and set a goal of teaching vocational agriculture in high school.
His educational pursuits included a Bachelor's degree at WSU in 1954. He paid his way through college by working on a commercial fishing boat and selling livestock in the summer. He was a talented wrestler, helping WSU become conference champions 1952-54. He captained the team as a senior.
After a stint in the US Army Signal Corps, he taught agriculture at Ridgefield High in Clark County followed by three years as vocational agriculture and adult education instructor at White River High in Buckley. He earned his Master's degree in 1963 from WSU in educational administration.
The years 1962-65 were pivotal in Ray's career and marked the start of his involvement in the community college movement in western Washington. As director of adult and vocational education in the Auburn school district (1962-64), he saw increased need for vocational training.
Needham founded Green River Vocational Technical Institute in 1964 and served as its first director. He also help plan Green River Community College, meeting often with Mel Lindbloom, first GRCC President and Tom Ford, first Tacoma Community College President at the Poodle Dog in Fife to compare notes about developing and building the campuses. Needham served as Green River's first Dean of Instruction, 1965-70.
Before he came to TCC as President in 1990 he developed an impressive resume that included 10-year posts as President at Linn Benton Community College in Albany, OR and Gilford Technical Community College in Greensboro, N.C.
In 1990 Needham brought a personable, open and collaborative style to TCC as President. He spent much time and effort fostering a "team-based" culture, empowering a broad group of campus leaders. He told an interviewer, "I really believe in people and really listen to them." "I believe in giving people the chance to move out and do things on their own." Throughout his TCC tenure he was recognized for his sincere engagement of staff and faculty.
As a new President he engaged with community leaders to develop a collaborative College Mission statement. It produced a statement that recognized the values of accessibility, cultural diversity, affordability, and community interdependence as very important to the college.
During Needham's time at TCC he opened two new education centers to reach more students – in the Tacoma Mall, and in Gig Harbor. As President, he initiated programs to better retain students and to follow up with graduates. He also worked closely with Tacoma's diverse communities to improve TCC pathways for students of color to pursue a college education. Needham championed the state's new Running Start program that allowed high school juniors and seniors to earn dual credit toward high school completion and an associate degree. In 1991 he established the President's Council on Diversity, an advisory group focused on the college's open and ongoing commitment to equitable access and diversity.
Local community involvement was very important to Needham. He served on the Pierce County Economic Development Board of Directors, as chair of the vocational services committee at Tacoma Rotary 8, as member of Tacoma and Gig Harbor Chambers of Commerce, the Pierce County Combined Fund Drive Board and the Tacoma Youth Symphony Board.
He was a great leader, committed to community colleges and students and a mentor to many. Recognizing Ray's tireless work for community colleges, the WA Association of Community and Technical Colleges presented him in 1996 with the Earl Norman lifetime achievement award.
Needham retired in 1998 and moved to Arizona to pursue his passion for golf. He loved the game and played many rounds each week. On May 16, 2022 he made his fourth hole in one.
Ray Needham was a caring, outgoing and friendly person. He will be missed. He is survived by his wife, Charlotte, Gold Canyon, AZ; Son, Scott Needham, Tacoma; daughter Susan Needham, Los Angeles; daughter Sally McMorris, Bend, OR; and son Steven Needham, Portland, OR and their families.
A memorial service celebrating Ray's life will be held 10 am January 6, 2023 at New Tacoma Cemetery, 212 Chambers Creek Rd W, University Place, WA. In lieu of flowers, donations in Ray's memory can be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place Memphis, Tennessee 38105.