Stephen W. Nease
Encyclopedia
Stephen Wesley Nease was an educator and president of four different institutions of higher education
. He was the father of two daughters, Linda Scott and Melissa Wallace; four sons, Floyd Nease
(Representative to the Vermont State House and Majority Leader), Stephen Nease, Jr., David Hardy Nease (who died at the age of 9), and David Wayne Nease.
to Madeline Nostrand and Floyd W. Nease
while his father was president of Eastern Nazarene College
. He earned his AB from Brown University
and his ThB from Eastern Nazarene College
in 1951. He later completed graduate work at Harvard Divinity School
, and ENC awarded him an honorary Doctor of Divinity in 1966.
in 1950. He became the executive field secretary in 1952, and was director of development in 1958. He then served as the founding president of Mount Vernon Nazarene College from 1966 to 1972, when he became the president of Bethany Nazarene College. He left the presidency at Bethany
to take on the presidency of Nazarene Theological Seminary
in 1976. In 1981, he left to become the president of his alma mater, Eastern Nazarene College.
In 1989, Nease was elected by the Church of the Nazarene
to serve as the first Commissioner of Education. He held this position until retirement in 1994. In retirement, he served in the development office at Mount Vernon Nazarene until 2000.
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
. He was the father of two daughters, Linda Scott and Melissa Wallace; four sons, Floyd Nease
Floyd Nease (politician)
Floyd William Nease II is the former Democratic Party Majority Leader of the Vermont House of Representatives.-Early life and education:Nease was born August 2, 1952 in Boston, the son of Stephen W. Nease and the grandson of Floyd W. Nease...
(Representative to the Vermont State House and Majority Leader), Stephen Nease, Jr., David Hardy Nease (who died at the age of 9), and David Wayne Nease.
Early life and education
Stephen W. Nease was born January 15, 1925 in Quincy, MassachusettsQuincy, Massachusetts
Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Its nicknames are "City of Presidents", "City of Legends", and "Birthplace of the American Dream". As a major part of Metropolitan Boston, Quincy is a member of Boston's Inner Core Committee for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council...
to Madeline Nostrand and Floyd W. Nease
Floyd W. Nease
Floyd William Nease was an American minister and the president of the Eastern Nazarene College until his death in 1930. He is the grandfather of Floyd William Nease II.-Early life:...
while his father was president of Eastern Nazarene College
Eastern Nazarene College
The Eastern Nazarene College is a private, coeducational college of the liberal arts and sciences in Quincy, Massachusetts near Boston, in the New England region of the United States. Known for its strong religious affiliation, distinctive liberal arts core curriculum, and excellence in science...
. He earned his AB from Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
and his ThB from Eastern Nazarene College
Eastern Nazarene College
The Eastern Nazarene College is a private, coeducational college of the liberal arts and sciences in Quincy, Massachusetts near Boston, in the New England region of the United States. Known for its strong religious affiliation, distinctive liberal arts core curriculum, and excellence in science...
in 1951. He later completed graduate work at Harvard Divinity School
Harvard Divinity School
Harvard Divinity School is one of the constituent schools of Harvard University, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the United States. The School's mission is to train and educate its students either in the academic study of religion, or for the practice of a religious ministry or other public...
, and ENC awarded him an honorary Doctor of Divinity in 1966.
Career
Stephen W. Nease served as dean of men at Eastern Nazarene CollegeEastern Nazarene College
The Eastern Nazarene College is a private, coeducational college of the liberal arts and sciences in Quincy, Massachusetts near Boston, in the New England region of the United States. Known for its strong religious affiliation, distinctive liberal arts core curriculum, and excellence in science...
in 1950. He became the executive field secretary in 1952, and was director of development in 1958. He then served as the founding president of Mount Vernon Nazarene College from 1966 to 1972, when he became the president of Bethany Nazarene College. He left the presidency at Bethany
Bethany, Oklahoma
Bethany is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. The population was 20,307 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Bethany is located at ....
to take on the presidency of Nazarene Theological Seminary
Nazarene Theological Seminary
Nazarene Theological Seminary is a Christian seminary affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene. It is located in Kansas City, Missouri, which was formerly also the location of the headquarters of the Church of the Nazarene...
in 1976. In 1981, he left to become the president of his alma mater, Eastern Nazarene College.
In 1989, Nease was elected by the Church of the Nazarene
Church of the Nazarene
The Church of the Nazarene is an evangelical Christian denomination that emerged from the 19th century Holiness movement in North America with its members colloquially referred to as Nazarenes. It is the largest Wesleyan-holiness denomination in the world. At the end of 2010, the Church of the...
to serve as the first Commissioner of Education. He held this position until retirement in 1994. In retirement, he served in the development office at Mount Vernon Nazarene until 2000.