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Pittsburgh Post Gazette June 1998
EDDY, Edward D., 77, of Wakefield, R.I., June 28. Avery-Storti, Wakefield.
Edward Eddy, Former Penn State Provost, Dies At 77
6-30-98
University Park, Pa. -- Edward D. "Ted" Eddy, who retired as president of the University of RI (URI) in 1991 and who served as Penn State's provost from 1977 to 1983, died Sunday (June 28) at his home in Wakefield. He was 77.
Throughout his career, Eddy was known as an outspoken and energetic advocate of education. As Penn State's provost, under former University President John W. Oswald, Eddy was the University's chief academic officer. As the deputy president of the University, he worked closely with Oswald and the Board of Trustees on all matters related to governance of the University.
At the announcement of his appointment in August 1977, Oswald characterized Eddy as "an outstanding leader in higher education" and praised his competence and experience. Eddy had "consistently demonstrated an ability to recognize and deal effectively with the many challenges faced by private and public higher education, in Pennsylvania and the nation as well," Oswald said.
When Oswald was ill in 1978, Eddy assumed the duties of University president.
After his retirement from the University of RI, Eddy chaired a group called PROBE -- the Providence Blueprint for Education -- a 33-member panel of educators, business leaders and community activists that led an 18-month investigation into the Providence school system. A former associate of Eddy's at PROBE described him as a man who devoted virtually every day of the last seven years of his life to the school children of Providence.
Before joining Penn State, Eddy had been president of Chatham College in Pittsburgh since 1960. He began his academic career at Cornell University and from 1949 to 1960 served at the University of New Hampshire, as a member of the English faculty, as assistant to the president, and later as provost and vice president. In 1954-55 Eddy was acting president of the University of New Hampshire.
Eddy was the author of many books and professional journal articles on public and private higher education issues, in particular values in education and strengthening liberal arts education. His 1957 book, "Colleges for Our Land and Time: The Land-Grant Idea in American Education," was widely recognized as one of the key works on the land-grant movement in the United States.
Eddy was the recipient of 10 honorary degrees and many other honors and awards. He received a B.A. degree from Cornell University in 1944, a master of theology degree from Yale University in 1946, and a Ph.D. from Cornell in 1956.
A native of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Eddy was the husband of Mary (Polly) S. Eddy. Besides his wife, survivors include two sons, Edward D. Eddy 3rd, of Los Angeles, and David H. Eddy Spicer, of Cambridge, Mass.; two daughters, Mary I. Eddy, of Denver, and Catherine E. Hahn, of Ashland, N.H.; and seven grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held tomorrow (July 1) in the Recital Hall of the Fine Arts Center on URI's Kingston campus.
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1921 - 1998 (77 years)
