Biographical Text
Professor Emeritus of Health, Leisure, and Exercise Science Vaughn Kyle Christian (March 26, 1943-) was born in Bristol, Tennessee, the son of Opal Norris and William Kyle Christian. Christian graduated from Tennessee High School in 1961 and earned a B.S. degree from George Peabody College at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1965. In 1966, he earned an M.A. degree and, in 1968, the Ed.S. degree, both from George Peabody College. Dr. Christian earned the Ed.D. degree in 1971 from Louisiana State University. Christian married the former Beverly Jo Carter on June 17, 1967, in Nashville, Tennessee. Mrs. Christian is the only daughter of John and Violet Carter. The Christians have two children, Derek Kyle Christian (July 11, 1976-), who earned his B.S. and M.A. degrees from Appalachian State University, and Autumn Christian Simmons (November 4, 1980-), who earned a B.S. degree from Appalachian State University. Autumn, who is an interior designer with Artisan Customer Builders in Boone, North Carolina, is married to Brent Simmons. Derek is a special agent with United States Custom Services in Miami, Florida. Dr. Christian began his career as a teacher in 1965 at Ensworth Academy in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1966, he taught and coached at Oxford College at Emory University in Oxford, Georgia. He began teaching and coaching soccer at Appalachian State University in 1971. He coached soccer until 1977. Dr. Christian was named Southern Conference Soccer Coach of the Year on three occasions and North Carolina Soccer Coach of the Year on one occasion. His teams won five Southern Conference Championships and received two bids to participate in the NCAA National Soccer Championships tournaments. The 1977 team finished with a national ranking of twelfth among all Division I teams in the United States. In 1990, he was inducted into the Appalachian Athletics Hall of Fame, and, in 2004, he was awarded the North Carolina Adult Soccer Association Pioneer of the Game honor. In 1975, Dr. Christian was the recipient of Appalachian State University's Board of Trustees' Outstanding Teaching Award. Through his thirty-two years of service at Appalachian State, he was recognized for his teaching, research and service which included being selected as a member of the University Scholars (1980), and as a Fellow of the Research Consortium in the American Alliance of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (1986). Dr. Christian received an Honor Award from the North Carolina Alliance of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (1985), a Service Award from the Southeastern College of Sports Medicine (1999), and the Plemmons Leadership Medallion from Appalachian State University (2001). Christian co-authored two laboratory manuals and published several manuscripts and was a frequent presenter at professional meetings. Dr. Christian served as chair of the Health, Leisure, and Exercise Science Department for seventeen years. In this period his department enjoyed national recognition for its research. During his years at Appalachian State, Dr. Christian served in various leadership roles at the state, regional, and national levels that promoted health and human performance for all age groups. These roles included serving as Executive Director for the Southeastern American College of Sports Medicine (1993-2002) to advocating wellness programs for state employees. The relocation of the Health, Leisure, and Exercise Science Department (2000) to a "state of the art" teaching and laboratory facility within the Holmes Convocation Center was a significant event in his career. In 2002, Christian announced his retirement effective June 30, 2003, and he was awarded emeritus status on December 3, 2004. Both he and Mrs. Christian (who retired as Director of Special Funds Accounting after thirty-three years at Appalachian State University) have many interests that will be pursued-not the least of which will include touring on their Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Sources: Personal correspondence and long association. -Dr. Richard D. Howe
Comments