Don Deselms dies at Veterans' Home

 Deselms came to Chadron State in 1963 as an assistant professor of educational psychology and counseling. Two years later, he was named the college’s director of admissions.  After filling several other administrative positions, he returned to teaching in 1988 and retired as a professor of psychology and counseling in July 1992.

Besides being the director of admissions for three years, he was dean of students, vice president of academic affairs and vice president planning and student affairs before he was appointed the college’s only vice president and was put in charge of the academic programs in 1980.

His job title was changed to provost in 1987.  About a year later returned to the classroom, where he spent his final four years on the staff.

He once noted that he had a clean desk because he moved nine or 10 times during his tenure at CSC.

In addition, in 1975-76 he became the first Chadron resident to serve as a district governor of Rotary International. 

Deselms grew up on farms in southwestern Nebraska and graduated from Oxford High School. While he was in college, he enlisted in the Air Force, but returned to Kearney State just a year later to earn his degree as part of the Operation Bootstrap program. After graduating in 1952, he served two more years in the Air Force, including a year on Johnson Island in the Pacific.

His first job after being discharged from the Air Force in 1954 was teaching English, journalism and speech at Kearney High School for five years. During that time he earned his master’s degree from KSC. He then went to Colorado State College at Greeley to work on his doctorate, which he completed in 1964.  He spent a year with the Johnstown, Colo., Schools before coming to CSC.

Deselms’ wife, Nancy, was his high school sweetheart. Other survivors include three children, all of whom attended Chadron State.