User:Dr.Bastedo/William D. Killian

William D. Killian biography of an educator & administrator ...

Using the below as a template, I or somebody else might create a viable Wikipedia article:

= Founder of Blue Ridge Community College has died =

Dr. William ("Bill") D. KILLIAN, the founding president of BLUE RIDGE COMMUNITY COLLEGE (B.R.C.C.) in western North Carolina, died March 17, 2019, at the age of 96 in the Medical Center at Carolina Village in Hendersonville, Henderson County, N.C., after a period of declining health.

B.R.C.C. has since grown to become two educational campuses of buildings, one in Flat Rock (Henderson County) and one in Brevard (Transylvania County, N.C.).

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{ Starting below, most of the quotations in this piece were taken from newspaper reports by Bill Moss published in the Hendersonville Lightning, Hendersonville, N.C., in its March 18 & 25, 2019 issues. Other quotes are identified. The website links for these two issues are:

March 18th --- <https://www.HendersonvilleLightning.com/news/7711-William-Killian-founding-President-of-BRCC-Dies-at-age-96.html>

March 25th --- <https://www.HendersonvilleLightning.com/news/7726-Funeral-Service-is-set-Friday-for-Dr-Killian.html> }

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"Born on May 22, 1922, in Lincoln County [N.C.], he was a son of the late David Coon and Bessie Era Lantz Killian. He was preceded in death by his wife of more than 63 years, Helen Shufford Killian, in 2016.

🔹 = Educational training = 🔹

"A graduate of Appalachian State Teacher’s College with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Mathematics and Science Education respectively, Killian served his country during World War II, enlisting in the United States Navy. After his separation from duty, he enrolled at NC State University and obtained another Bachelor’s Degree in Agricultural Education.

"His passion for education was not simply his understanding that knowledge was not only powerful, but the sharing of knowledge to eager students was extremely rewarding to him as well. As a VOCATIONAL AGRICULTURE EDUCATION instructor, Professor Killian’s positions allowed him and his family to reside in several cities in NC including Lincolnton, Stony Point, and Cleveland.

"In 1962, after accepting a teaching position at Catawba County Technical Institute (CUTI), he shifted to Administration with the acceptance of the Agricultural Technical Coordinator and then as the Director of Evening Programs of CUTI. He left CUTI long enough to complete his Doctorate studies at NC State prior to resuming his administrative duties at CUTI.

🔹 = His Arrival in Henderson County = 🔹

"In 1969, Dr. Killian had been made aware of the plans for a community institute to be created in the Hendersonville area to provide secondary education as well as industrial training for local students and applied for the position with the current Board of the Henderson County Commissioners.

"He eagerly accepted the position of the first President of the HENDERSON COUNTY TECHNICAL INSTITUTE, a public two-year institution which had been granted a charter by the NC State Board of Education on July 21, 1969. He successfully nurtured the institute which [was subsequently renamed] Blue Ridge Tech, and finally BLUE RIDGE COMMUNITY COLLEGE . . . "

A bond issue in 1969 provided the original funds. "One day in February of 1970, he saw that the tenants of the old Lampley Motor Co. building on Church Street [in central Hendersonville] were moving out. The space was available, so Killian rented it. Blue Ridge Tech when it first opened in the old car dealership offered welding, auto mechanics, secretarial classes, drafting, and electrician training and had around 105 students.

🔹 = Starting from Scratch = 🔹

"Sadie Patton later donated 150 acres toward the start of BRCC at its current location" in Flat Rock. "It got us on our way," Killian said. 'We wanted to have classes by September. There just wasn't time to go through all the procedures required. We painted the interior, we laid the first carpet in there,' he said. Killian went to business leaders and raised money to get started. 'Commissioners began to see it was a serious effort,' he said. "Come July 1, of 1970, they approved our budget request.' The appropriation was $14,000.

" 'Very few people get the opportunity to start a school from scratch,' he said. 'It was a chance to leave some of your thinking and some of what you believe because how you get started is going to determine to a large extent how your school's going to be.' "

As the Hendersonville Times-News observes, with his appointment in 1969, "Killian had the daunting task to select a temporary location for the college, hire faculty and staff, design a curriculum, and begin classes in early 1970.

{ The above paragraph and the one below come from: <https://www.blueridgenow.com/news/20190318/william-killian-founding-brcc-president-passes-away-at-96> }

🔹 = His tenure as community college president = 🔹

"During his tenure, the college moved to its permanent location which is now the Henderson County Campus and expanded its reach into Transylvania County. An instructor of trades himself, Killian led the college from its infancy to [become] a thriving college with dozens of job training programs, a college transfer track, and a [fine] reputation in the community. . ."

After nearly two decades of service, Dr. Killian retired as the college president in 1987. Just a couple of years later, the large Flat Rock facility enclosing its campus library, student center, bookstore, and cafe was named in his honor the WILLIAM D. KILLIAN BUILDING.

Following a memorial service last week at the Grace Lutheran Church in west Hendersonville, he was buried at Shepherd Memorial Park located north of Hendersonville.

He would reminisce that his hard-working dad grew up on a farm and never got beyond third grade. When asked in 2012 how he would prefer to be recalled, Dr. Killian responded, “I would like to be remembered as a person who cared for the WORKING PEOPLE . . . as a person who helped other people.”

{ The above or final quote comes from a press release: <https://www.BlueRidge.edu/news/Statement-President-Laura-B-Leatherwood-Passing-Blue-Ridge-Community-College-Founding-President> }

Dr.Bastedo (talk) 01:18, 26 March 2019 (UTC)

External links

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