Donald Dedmon

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Donald Dedmon (August 13, 1931 - February 13, 1998) was born in Missouri.

He received his undergraduate degree at Southwestern Missouri State College, and later, an M.A. and doctorate degree in oral education from University of Iowa.

He taught at high school and college levels before entering administration positions at Colorado State University.

After serving at Colorado State University he became vice president at Marshall University, and eventually acting president of the University, where he would lead the campus through the November 14, 1970 plane crash in which 37 members of the school's football team were killed. David Strathairn portrays Donald Dedmon in the movie We Are Marshall.

His tenure was short at Marshall before becoming president of Radford University on March 20, 1972. Dr. Dedmon served in this capacity for over twenty years, during which time the University experienced great growth and a major change from an all woman's college to a co-ed institution, before reaching university status in 1979. The enrollment tripled during this time span.

He was considered an eloquent orator who believed in emphasizing faculty teaching over research work by university professors.

He retired from Radford University in 1994, and died in Naples, FL in 1998.

The Dedmon Center at Radford University was named in his honor.