PLYMOUTH, NH – Plymouth State University (PSU) announces with great sadness the passing of PSU President Emeritus Donald P. Wharton, of Landaff, New Hampshire, who died on January 3.
“Our PSU community is deeply saddened by the passing of President Emeritus Donald P. Wharton,” said Donald L. Birx, Ph.D., president, Plymouth State University. “He was an innovative and visionary leader who spurred dramatic growth in programs, facilities, and finances, enhancing Plymouth State’s reputation in enduring ways that transformed our campus. One of his many innovations included creation of the PSU President’s Council, which spearheaded major improvements to campus life.”
Wharton came to Plymouth State in 1993 after serving as dean of arts and sciences and subsequently as vice president for academic affairs at Minot State University in North Dakota, and then as special assistant to the chancellor of the North Dakota University System. He served as the Plymouth State’s president until 2006 and led the transition from Plymouth State College to Plymouth State University.
“We were so fortunate to be with him on the start of that journey,” said New Hampshire businessman and PSU alumnus Wally Stevens. “He had a vision of Plymouth State being a university when in fact it had been operating that way for a few years while still a college. He was a quietly brilliant leader of an institution in transition and I’m so sad to hear of his passing.”
Wharton was succeeded by Sara Jayne Steen who served as president from 2006 to 2015.
During Wharton’s tenure, higher admission standards resulted in significant improvement in student academic and civic performance. Plymouth State added new graduate and undergraduate programs in natural science, communications, arts and criminal justice; completed information technology upgrades throughout the university; and developed collaborations with local communities, including new professional development partnerships with K-12 school districts around the state.
Advancement efforts under Wharton’s tenure included the launch of a $5 million capital campaign, the first part of which coincided with the completion of PSU’s Boyd Science Center, which houses its Meteorology and other science programs. Plymouth’s physical campus changed dramatically with the new Hartman Union Building, the new Lamson Library, and major renovation and conversion of the historic Draper and Maynard Building. Additional improvements included a new co-generation plant for electricity and heat for the campus, the demolition of the old power plant and associated buildings to create more green space, and the conversion of town streets to campus walkways.
Wharton has been recognized by PSU with numerous honors, including the Harold E. Hyde Award for Distinguished Educational Leadership. PSU Athletics presented Wharton with two awards; the Dr. James J. Hogan Memorial Award and the Craig Souza Award, and the President’s Award, given by the athletic department each year, was also renamed the Donald P. Wharton Award.
Wharton served on several New Hampshire boards while president including three years as chair for the Society for the Protection of NH Forests (SPNHF) as well as the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. The Ann L. Wharton Scholarship, set up and endowed by Wharton in honor and memory of his mother, has aided numerous deserving PSU undergraduates with financial need to allow them to complete their education.
Wharton’s degrees in English and library science included a master’s degree and doctorate from Pennsylvania State University, a Master of Legal Studies from the University of Pittsburgh and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Notre Dame. He served in the U.S. Army as a first lieutenant from 1965–1968.
Visiting hours will be held at Pillsbury Phaneuf Funeral Home, Littleton, from 5–7 p.m. on Friday, January 12. Additional information is available in an online obituary.