Giving
Societies

Rudine Sims Bishop graduated from WCU in 1959 with a BA in Elementary Education; she then earned an MS in Education from the University of Pennsylvania and an EdD in Curriculum Development from Wayne State University.

Dr. Bishop taught children’s literature at Ohio State University from 1986 to 2002, after which she retired. While at Ohio State, she served on the selection committees for both the Caldecott and Newbery Medals. For her contributions to the field of children’s literature she has received the National Council of Teachers of English James R. Squire Award and Outstanding Educator in English Language Arts Award, the Arbuthnot Award, the Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement; and the OSU Distinguished Service Award.

In 2001, Dr. Bishop was inducted into the Reading Hall of Fame. Later in 2017, she was a WCU Commencement Speaker in December 2017. At WCU, she supports the Purple & Gold Fund, the Patricia Grasty Gaines Multicultural Leadership Endowment, and the Frederick Douglass Institute. She currently resides with her husband, Jim, in Columbus, Ohio.

In 1969, Dick Delaney graduated with a BS in Kinesiology from WCU, where he was also a student-athlete competing in basketball, soccer, and baseball. He served as head basketball coach at WCU for 21 seasons and was a student coach for 45 years. Dick is especially famous for having been the first coach to lead the Rams to the NCAA Tournament (1987).

Dick coached at Philadelphia University for 11 years and was inducted into the University’s Hall of Fame in 2004. Additionally, he was inducted into the WCU Athletic Hall of Fame and Messikomer Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002. Remarkably, he was named Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Coach of the Year in 1991, 1992, 2000, 2004, and 2006.

In 2011, he established the Dick Delaney Scholarship Endowment. He has been enthusiastic in engaging other former athletes in fundraising. He and his wife, Toby, have also contributed to the Chester County Community Foundation. Together, they reside in Springfield, Pennsylvania.

Pamela A. Coughlin graduated from WCU in 1964 with a BA in Education; she then earned a PhD at American University. She was the founder and former executive director of Children’s Resources International, an organization that created pilot programs similar to Head Start in foreign countries — including Hungary, Morocco, and Pakistan.

Dr. Coughlin was integral to initiating a WCU study abroad program in Hungary with the help of George Soros’ Open Society Foundation. She was an early staff member of the federal Head Start education program and is a former professor at Georgetown University.

At WCU, Dr. Coughlin serves on the College of Education Social Work Advisory Board. In 2018, she established the Pamela Coughlin Education Endowment to support a female Elementary Education major. She currently resides in Bethesda, Maryland.