Dr. Gloria Payne

Dr. Gloria Payne

ELKINS — Heartfelt tributes are pouring in celebrating the life and impact of a beloved professor who served at Davis & Elkins College for more than 70 years and inspired and influenced the lives of thousands of students.

The passing of Dr. Gloria Payne, Professor Emeritus of Davis & Elkins College, was announced by the school on Sunday morning.

“Dr. Payne’s long and distinguished career at Davis & Elkins impacted the lives of countless people, particularly her beloved students who have remained close to her over many decades,” the post on the college’s Facebook page stated Sunday. “Her legacy lives on in her students and at Davis & Elkins College.”

Elkins Mayor Van Broughton shared his grief and memories of Payne on social media.

“I’m lost for words with the passing of a community icon, Dr. Gloria Payne,” Broughton posted on Facebook. “Your smile made everyone’s day! Your cards and phones calls were priceless to me! You were the first to call my office and to congratulate me, but that’s who you were! I will never ever forget our conversation! Such an Amazing Lady! You were a friend to all!”

Elkins City Councilwoman and former Elkins Mayor Judy Guye told The Inter-Mountain that her late husband Grady Guye considered Payne a tremendous educator.

“Grady had her for a teacher back when he was a student at D&E, back in the late 1940s,” she said. “He always admired her teaching skills. He was a year older than her but he was in the Army before going to D&E. He remembered her as a great teacher.”

Dozens of local residents have posted condolences, thoughts and memories on social media since Payne’s passing.

Cassandra Bolyard Whyte wrote, “Dr. Gloria Payne was an authentic and caring professional and human being. I taught alongside of Dr. Payne for years as a colleague and she became a life-time friend. She will be remembered as part of the fabric that has made Davis and Elkins College a beautiful and special place that it is.”

“You cannot think of D&E and not think of Dr. Gloria Payne,” posted Shasta Eidell. “God bless her.”

Mark Forbes posted, “Dr. Payne is Davis & Elkins College. God bless her.”

“I was fortunate to have her as an advisor, professor, and friend,” Dr. Emil Suder told The Inter-Mountain. “Because of her, I graduated with degrees in business. I originally thought of being a social studies teacher, but business was calling my name because of Dr. Payne.

“I was to attend a private college in Kentucky only to have that change once I met her in the spring of 2002 when I was being inducted into the National Vocational-Technical Honor Society and Dr. Payne was being inducted as an honorary member.

“We sat together and talked about different majors. When she found out that I may be going to a different college, she asked, ‘Why not D&E? I’m there.’ She persuaded me to change colleges and come back home to college,” Suder said.

“After graduating and earning graduate degrees in business and education, I still assisted Dr. Payne with special projects and guest lectured her entrepreneurship and business communication courses from time-to-time.

“I became a close friend of the family and helped Dr. Payne and her family as well as her sister, Lorrayne McGee. I was so honored to be part of her family and help in any way I could,” he added. “I can’t count the number of dinners, lunches, and other activities that we did to help promote happiness and learning in the community.”

Two years after earning her Bachelor of Arts degrees in business and English at Davis & Elkins College, Payne, who was born in 1921, found herself back at the school. In 1945, she was invited to instruct summer school classes and for the decades that followed, she never viewed her job as “work,” she said.

Payne earned a Master of Arts degree in English from West Virginia University in 1970. She also held a Master of Business Administration and Ph.D. in business from the University of Pittsburgh.

She completed additional studies at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, N.Y., New York University, East Carolina University, Marshall University and the Washington School of Protocol in Washington, D.C.

Payne also held certifications as a modeling instructor from World Modeling Association and the Wheeler Fashion School, a design appearance consultant from the World Modeling Association, an interior decorator from the New York School of Design and protocol certification from the Washington School of Protocol.

As chair of the Business and Economics Department, Payne developed 18 business programs at D&E, including fashion merchandising, health care administration, hospitality management, real estate, marketing and international management, among others.

She connected her students and the business community through honorary organizations and the Beta Alpha Beta Annual Awards Banquet, along with “An Evening with Business” and “Project Interview” which provided students an opportunity to meet and learn from experienced local business leaders.

Payne’s work was recognized throughout West Virginia and the nation with honors such as the West Virginia Business Association Outstanding Business Educator of the Year, the West Virginia Women’s Commission Celebrate Women Award and Education Leader of the Year presented by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education, in addition to dozens of other awards.

The James S. McDonnell Foundation Chair in Business and Economics in honor of Dr. Gloria M. Payne was established in 1986 in gratitude for the education Marcella McDonnell received under Payne’s guidance.

More recently, Payne was selected as grand parade marshal for the Mountain State Forest Festival Grand Feature Parade in 2016.

After more than seven decades of service to Davis & Elkins College, she was named the recipient of the school’s inaugural Crystal Mace Award in 2017.

“She has mentored thousands of students, both as an adviser and friend,” D&E President Chris Wood said at the time. “It’s often that we hear from alumni who tell us about the impact Dr. Payne has had on their lives.”