CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A former West Virginia higher education chancellor has died.
Dr. Clifford Trump, who was chancellor of the State College System of West Virginia from 1994 through 2000, died last Thursday in Goodyear, Arizona. He was 84.
Trump came to West Virginia after serving as president of South Dakota-based Black Hills State University for nine years. Before that he served as interim president of Idaho State University.
Wheeling attorney Bill Wilmoth, a former member of the State College System Board of Directors, said Trump was chosen to lead the college system after the state had gone to two higher education systems, a university system, made up of WVU, Marshall and the School of Osteopathic Medicine and the college system representing the state’s smaller four-year and two-year institutions. Wilmoth said Trump served well.
“Cliff was the consummate professional,” Wilmoth told MetroNews Monday. “He moved to West Virginia and immediately got to know everybody, treated everybody really well, he was a great leader and just what we needed at the time.”
Wilmoth said it was a challenge to be the chancellor of a system that represented various colleges with various interests.
“Ten campus, geographically and fiscally, very different animals, all 10 of them,” Wilmoth said. “We tried to work very closely with the university board as well. It was no easy task that he (Trump) undertook.”
Wilmoth remembered Trump “dressed to the nines” was easy to get to know and easy to work with.
“He fit right in when he came to West Virginia. He had obviously done his homework and I don’t think missed a beat,” Wilmoth said.
Trump served in the role until 2000. He retired when the legislature created the Higher Education Policy Commission to oversee the state’s colleges and universities.
Trump received a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Nebraska at Kearney, a master’s degree in education from Arizona State University, and a doctorate in higher education administration from the University of Wyoming in Laramie.
Trump is survived by his wife Karen. They had three sons and one grandchild.