Robert W. Leith . . . Watching ECC / ECU grow

Biographical sketch of Robert Leith. This and other articles may be found in the University Archives.

The citation for this article is: "Robert W. Leith . . . Watching ECC / ECU grow," Pieces of Eight, April 1, 1986.

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When first invited to join the facutly of East Carolina College, Robert Wayne (Bob) Leith was reluctant to leave a good job teaching at Myers Park High School in his adopted hometown of Charlotte. In fact, he said no when first asked by Kenneth Bing, East Carolina's industrial arts director.

"I was happy teaching in Charlotte," Leith says. "Also, I was operating an auto repair business there." But then he had second thoughts. "So I called and told him that I would come to Greenvile and look the place over," he recalls.

It so happened that Leith liked what he saw. He was attracted by Greenville's quiet charm and friendliness. "I felt that I would be able to spend more time with my family. I wouldn't be workign day and night. Also, my wife wanted to go to college, and here was a chance for her to do that." East Carolina was beginning to grow rapidly and Leith decided that there might be a good future on its faculty

That was 29 years ago -- in 1957 -- and now Bob Leith is about to retire from a busy and tremendously interesting career teaching industrial arts and watching transformation of the college into East Carolina University.

"When I came here, Dr. John Messick was president," he says. "I've gone through the administrations of Drs. (Leo) Jenkins, (Thomas) Brewer and now Dr. (John M.) Howell. In fact, Dr. Howell and I came to East Carolina the same year. Somehow, he moved up a little faster than I did.

Experienced Much Growth

In a short time after arriving at East Carolina, Leith says, "I knew everyone on the campus -- faculty and staff -- by their first names. Now I don't know one-tenth of them."

Leith reflects on some of the changes that he has seen come about. "We've had growth everywhere, in students and faculty and staff, in the depth and diversity of offerings and programs, and in facilities. When I first came here, half of the faculty taught in Flanagan, the other half in Old Austin. I guess that was one of the reasons I knew everybody back then.

Soon after arriving in Greenville, Leith's wife, the former Jo Ann Barber of Toledo, Ohio, began her college education and earned both bachelor's and master's degrees at East Carolina.

Now she is retiring too, from the program in business and office communications which she started and now directs at Pitt Community College. "We're retiring at the same time," Leith says. "We're going to travel. We've planned places we want to go -- New England in the fall, Florida next winter, then to California and the Rockies."

"And I enjoy fishing. I'm going to spend a lot of time on the Carteret County coast," Leith says. "I've enjoyed my career -- my work, my family and my church. But I'm happy to be retiring."

Leith always wanted to teach. "I don't like administrative work," he says. "I've always liked to teach. I like working with young people."

He advanced in academic rank from lecturer to professor and also served for a time as acting chair of the Department of Industrial and Technical Education. But his specialty has remained teaching drafting and architectural engineering. A graduate program in industrial arts already was established when Leith arrived.

"We've had a lot of very fine, outstanding people among our graduates," he says proudly. Among them, for example, are Leroy Henderson, president of Coastal Carolina Community College, Jacksonville, and Walter Cox of Greenville, retired from the industrial arts faculty at N.C. State University.

"I've always held the philosophy that things will work out some way. I'm a good Presbyterian -- what's to be will be. I think people need to look at life and accept the way things are, and do less 'second guessing' about their situation." On the other hand, he does not condone complacency.

"I don't believe everything is predetermined. You've got to look out for yourself and do things for yourself. I tell my students that they need to work hard. Strive to do well -- that's the key to success.

"I tell them there's a place for them if they work at it."

Inspired at Early Age

Leith was inspired toward teaching as his life's work at an early age. His grandfather was an administrator at Trinity College, now Duke University, and his uncle, Walter Jordan, taught chemistry at N.C. State for 44 years.

"I admired my uncle very much and respected his wisdom," Leith says.

"I figured if he enjoyed teaching, then I ought to enjoy it too."

Bob and Jo Ann Leith were married in 1945 when he was serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II. After the war he attended N.C. State and received the bachelor's degree in 1949. Five years later, after another stint in the Navy during the Korean War, he received the master's degree from Bowling Green State University in his homestate of Ohio. He received the doctorate from N.C. State.

"My family really is from North Carolina," he says. "The family moved from Ashevill to Ohio, and I just happened to be born there and grew up in Toledo. My mother's family was from Winston-Salem. They all moved back to Charlotte. But home is eastern North Caroliina, now and always," he says.

Leith is a life member of the American Industrial Arts Association and the N.C. Industrial Arts Association. His doctoral dissertation reflected his lifelong teaching interests. It was entited Occupatioinal Education in the Middle School of the United States.

He has earned certificates on inspection of industrial materials from Toledo University, from the Navy's electrician school, Purdue University and Naval Aviation School, Chicago. Professionally, he have served as an Army ordinance inspector and navy aviation electrician.