Biographical Text
Professor Emeritus of Administration, Supervision and Higher Education Ben H. Horton, Jr. (March 10, 1914-) was born in Sharon, South Carolina, the son of Macie Jane and B. Haskell Horton. He and his late wife, Elizabeth, had two sons: John Davis and James Davis. John and his wife, Jackie, live in Charleston, South Carolina. James is a lieutenant colonel in the Marine Corps and had two periods of service in Vietnam. Presently, he and his family (including three sons) live in Washington, District of Columbia. Horton came to Appalachian State Teachers' College (now Appalachian State University) as a student in 1931 and completed his B.S. degree in history and in English, with biology and elementary education minors, in 1935. After receiving his degree, he became a teacher in the Gaston County, North Carolina, school system, where he taught for four years. Horton taught in the Mecklenburg County school system from 1940 to 1942 and served as an administrator for the school system from 1943 to 1948. In 1948, Horton moved to Watauga County, North Carolina, to teach in a laboratory school, while also working on his M.A. degree in school administration and history at Appalachian State. When he received his degree in 1950, he began supervising student teachers at the university. Horton continued his education at the Florida State University from 1955 to 1958, receiving his Ed.D. degree in elementary, secondary, and teacher education. His doctoral dissertation dealing with "The Problems of Beginning Principals" was supported financially by the Kellogg Foundation. He later served as the director for the internship program for school administrators at Appalachian State and did postdoctoral work at both the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and the University of California at Los Angeles. Promoted to chair of the Department of Education and Psychology in 1958, Dr. Horton served in that capacity until 1968, when he became the founding dean of the College of Education. Horton held the dean's position until 1973, and he was a professor of graduate studies from 1973 to 1978. During his deanship, numerous graduate programs, including the post-master's degree programs, were added. Numbers of outstanding, nationally known faculty members were recruited to the summer program to support a capable university faculty. Included among the visiting faculty members were Dr. Elmer Garinger, Charlotte Mecklenburg schools; Dr. John Ott, University of South Carolina; Dr. L.O. Andrews, Ohio State University; Dr. Vernon Hicks, Michigan State University; Dr. Doak Campbell, president emeritus, Florida State University; Dr. Frank Dickey, president emeritus, University of Kentucky; Dr. William Loggins, state of South Carolina; Dr. Ben Smith, superintendent of Greensboro City Schools; and Dr. J. L. Johnson, superintendent of New York City Schools. Dr. Horton wrote several articles during his professional career including the following titles: • "School Principals Look at their Problems," The Bulletin for Secondary School Principals, (1959). • "New Way to Train for Principalships," The School Executive, (1959). • "Teachers of Teachers," Education, Administration, and Supervision, (1955). • "Student Teaching Can be a Worthwhile Experience," The Bulletin for Secondary School Principals, (1961). Dr. Horton was a member of Phi Delta Kappa (for twenty-six years); the North Carolina Educators Association (for thirty-five years); the National Education Association (for twenty-five years); the State Association of Teacher Education (chair); the Southeastern District Association of Student Teaching (president, 1958-59); the North Carolina Committee on Student Teaching (chair, 1959-61); the Teacher Evaluation Program in North Carolina (twelve years); and the visiting evaluation teams of the Southern Association (ten years). Horton retired in 1978 after forty years of service to the State of North Carolina. He is spending his retirement years in Boone writing and reading, being available as a consultant in education, building a twelve-hundred-square-foot log house, making household furniture, doing various forms of arts and crafts, performing church work, fishing, and traveling. Sources: Appalachian State University files and personal correspondence. -Dr. Richard D. Howe
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