The following is a statement from ETSU President Dr. Brian Noland on the passing of President Emeritus Dr. Paul E. Stanton, Jr.
East Tennessee State University is in mourning. The passing of President Emeritus Dr. Paul E. Stanton, Jr., brings deep grief and sadness to the campus community he has so ably served since he and his family moved from Atlanta to Johnson City in 1985.
For those of us who had the privilege of working with him or being in his presence, Dr. Stanton symbolized all that is good in the world. He genuinely cared about the people of this university. Human relationships guided all that he did in the various positions he held at ETSU, from faculty member to department chair to dean to vice president and, ultimately, as our President. To be in Dr. Stanton’s presence was always a joy.
He embodied our institutional values. For him, people always came first. A meeting with Dr. Stanton invariably began with questions about the health and well-being of one’s family. Those who worked with him through crises and pressures recall that no matter how difficult the issue, Dr. Stanton approached it with calmness and compassion. He treated colleagues with the same level of caring he showed to his patients during his days as a vascular surgeon.
One of Dr. Stanton’s special skills was his ability to recognize and reward talent. He built upon the university’s legacy of providing opportunity for women, giving women administrators and faculty members an equal place at the table.
Dr. Stanton was enormously proud of his family. He adored them. Even through his demanding years as our President, he made time for them. He was deeply dedicated to his wife, Nancy; his children, Eric, Ryan, and Shelley; and his grandchildren. Parenting, he always said, was the most important job he ever had.
During his years as ETSU’s President, Dr. Stanton talked often of partnerships. Those partnerships led to remarkable achievements. As colleagues recall, Dr. Stanton’s powers of calm persuasion were difficult to resist. Through Dr. Stanton’s vision and energy emerged the Gray Fossil Site, the Gatton College of Pharmacy, the Roan Scholars Leadership Program, the Honors College, and national prominence for the Division of Health Sciences.
The presence of Stanton-Gerber Hall at the Quillen VA Medical Center at Mountain Home is a perpetual reminder of Dr. Stanton’s work in shaping the Quillen College of Medicine into an institution of superior quality with an emphasis on serving the needs of rural communities. During Dr. Stanton’s tenure, campus life was transformed as new residence halls significantly improved the student experience. As he reflected on these transformative programs, he was always quick to share credit with the community and campus partners he enlisted to make them happen.
As East Tennessee State University works daily to improve the quality of life for the people of this region, we will continue to remember our dear colleague and friend who made that mission his life’s work for over 40 years. As a leader, he leaves a tremendous legacy through both his personal contributions and the inspiration he sparked in others. Each year at commencement, Dr. Stanton framed his remarks to remind graduates of our shared purpose. He was fond of quoting John Wesley, and particularly this advice:
Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
As long as ever you can.
Dr. Stanton certainly embodied that call to serve, and I join his family, countless friends, and the entire campus community in a time of remembrance and appreciation for his extraordinary life.
