2 minute read
Remembering Dr. Dorman Stout
An advocate. Leader. Mentor. Visionary. Community servant. A proud veteran. A champion for students.
And a loyal friend.
Dr. Dorman Stout embodied these traits in everything he did throughout his 30-year career at ETSU. A graduate of the university, he returned to campus in the mid-1960s as Dean of Men and was soon promoted to Dean of Students. In 1984, he was promoted to Vice President for Student Affairs, a role he remained in until his retirement.
On Friday, June 24, Dr. Stout passed away.
Dr. Bonnie Burchett, Director of Housing and Residence Life, remembers Dr. Stout as the person who hired her in 1977. “Dr. Stout was all about the students,” she reflects. “He always thought about what was best for the students, and that came first. It was never about him. He was very humble, and he did not like a lot of recognition.”
During his tenure at ETSU, Stout led a major expansion of the Division of Student Affairs, now the Division of Student Life and Enrollment. One of the things former colleagues say he enjoyed most about his job was working with the Student Government Association and other student leaders on campus. Among his many accomplishments was guiding the creation of the Counseling Center. He also began the early planning to establish a physical activity center on campus. “Dr. Stout cared about people,” Burchett added. “He would always ask me how my mother was, even years after he retired. A few years back when Southwest Virginia was blanketed with a heavy snowfall that lasted several days, he called me to see how my mother was and if she was ok. He did hundreds of those types of things but was never one to brag or take credit. Rather, he just quietly and humbly showed kindness and concern for others.
Guests at the ETSU Alumni Banquet will remember Stout’s rich voice that for years led the crowd in the singing of the alma mater.
“He was always a team player,” Burchett added, “and by his actions, we were reminded that ‘We play as a team, and we do what is right for the students and the university.’”
The Dorman G. Stout, Jr. Student Leadership Endowment was created to award an annual scholarship to a student who demonstrates the leadership traits and character that reflect Dr. Stout.
Joe Smith is Senior Director for Strategic Communications in ETSU’s Office of University Marketing and Communications.
