PLYMOUTH-On August 25, President Wharton held a meeting to announce his retirement to PSU faculty and staff.
His retirement is effective June 30, 2006. A search is already taking place to hire a new President for the 2006-2007 academic year. The search will be headed by Eugene Savage, a member of the University System Board, also a member of Plymouth’s class of ’58.
In his address to faculty and staff, President Wharton recalled his promise to Plymouth State trustees when he first came to campus in 1993. He promised he would: “leave the wood pile higher than I found it.” This goal was met, but he acknowledges that it was only possible because of the work from faculty, staff, alumni, and students of the University.
President Wharton is the 13th president at Plymouth State. He came to Plymouth in 1993 and has been responsible for many changes in the school; for example, the change in 2003 from Plymouth State College to Plymouth State University.
President Wharton is also responsible for the addition of the Hartman Union Building, Lamson Library, Draper Maynard building, Prospect Dining Hall, and the Boyd Science Center. The most recent addition to campus is the Langdon Woods Student Housing Complex. Construction for the project broke ground in May of 2005.
President Wharton has overseen the addition of several academic programs including criminal justice, communications, and five new masters degrees programs. A new General Education program has also been instituted in his time at Plymouth.
President Wharton has earned degrees from Notre Dame, the University of Pittsburg and a PhD from Penn State University. He was a faculty member at Penn State, Altoona until 1981, and then Associate Academic Dean until 1984 at Castleton State. He was also Vice President for Academic Affairs at Minot State University in North Dakota, and then served as a special assistant to the Chancellor of the North Dakota University System.
Eugene Savage praised President Wharton for his work throughout his tenure as President, “President Wharton has served with distinction… Dr. Wharton has raised admissions standards and improved the academic performance profile of the student body. Those actions have significantly improved student retention, which in turn has resulted in higher enrollments for the University.”
President Wharton plans to move, with his wife Carol, to Landaff, New Hampshire.