Gordon Franklin Culver, 86, Lincoln, died Sunday (1-31-10). Born in Pawnee County, Oklahoma, on (2-2-23). Retired from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1990 after 29 years as Professor and Head of Business Education in the Teachers College. Taught at Oklahoma State University and Stillwater High School in Stillwater, Oklahoma, prior to coming to Nebraska. BS and MS degrees in Business from Oklahoma State University, doctorate in Secondary Education from the University of Nebraska.
In a 42 year career in Education, he served as president of the National Business Education Association; Delta Pi Epsilon, national graduate professional society in business education; Mountain-Plains Business Education, and as Dean of the Institute for Certifying Secretaries. In 1970, he received the first Outstanding Teacher Award presented by the Nebraska State Business Education Association; in 1971, he received the Mountain-Plains Business Education Association award for Outstanding Service; and in 1978, he received the Distinguished Services Award presented by the National Business Education Association. In 1982, he received the John Robert Gregg Award for Service to Business Education, the highest recognition given by the profession. At UNL, he served on numerous committees and in 1985 was awarded an Outstanding Teacher Award by the University.
He was an honorary life member of Professional Secretaries International and of Cornhusker Chapter of PSI; in 1986 he was honored as Boss of the Year by Cornhusker Chapter. He was a past president of the Lincoln Chapter of Administrative Management Society as well as an honorary member of that organization. He was an honorary member of Alpha Upsilon Chapter of Delta Pi Epsilon, which he was instrumental in establishing at UNL in 1966.
A skilled writer and teacher of shorthand, he credited his secretarial skills-first learned in high school-with changing his life. While at UNL, he conducted workshops for business teachers and secretaries throughout the country and in the Bahamas and Puerto Rico, for many years he was a shorthand consultant for the Gregg Division of McGraw-Hill Book Company.
He served three years in the U. S. Army in World War II, two of those years in General George S. Patton’s Third Army in the European Theatre of Operation. He rose from Private to Master Sergeant (Sergeant Major) in the 2nd Mechanized Calvary Group utilizing his secretarial and administrative management skills. In March, 1945, at Klatovy, Czechoslovakia, where his unit was located on VE Day, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for Meritorious Service.
Dr. Culver’s family and professional activities were the centerpieces of a wonderful life. He often said there hadn’t been a day in his professional life that he didn’t enjoy. A man with numerous hobbies, he loved backpacking with his sons in the Colorado Rockies. An avid trout fisherman and mushroomer, he enjoyed life to the fullest. He and his family built their year-round vacation home in Colorado as a family project. One of his great joys in life was teaching his grandchildren to enjoy and respect the environment and the outdoors as much as he. He was a passionate vegetable and flower gardener; after retiring from UNL, he completed the Master Gardener program and volunteered many hours to that activity. In March, 1996, he was named Volunteer of the Month for volunteer activities with the Lancaster County Election Commission. He served six years on the council of First Lutheran Church after joining that church in 1994. Active in UNL’s Emeriti Association, he served that organization as president in 1996.
His desire to be a career student was realized in retirement through several years of involvement with SAGE (now OLLI) the continuing education program which he served as a member of the advisory board. Through SAGE and his activities in Lincoln Lancaster County Genealogical Society, he researched and wrote his memoirs and autobiography. One of Dr. Culver’s great joys in retirement was keeping in touch with his former students.
Dr. Culver was preceded in death by his first wife Erma and infant son David. He is survived by his widow, Sidney Hahn Culver of Lincoln, her son and two grandsons and by his children and their spouses: Alan and Jan Culver, Janis and Fred Hiatt, and Gregg Culver all of Lincoln; Steven and Lisa Culver, Nederland, Colorado; and Drs. Robert and Mariann Culver, Wes Des Moines, Iowa. Nine grandchildren and four great grandchildren; three step-great grandchildren.
Memorial Service: 10:30 a.m. Friday (2-5-10) First Lutheran Church, 1551 South 70th Street. Pastor Aaron Erdley officiating.
Memorials in lieu of flowers to the University of Nebraska Foundation (The Gordon F. and Erma M. Culver Graduate Scholarship in Business Education).