Edward Daves de Rosset, who served from 2003 to 2011 as Union College’s 17th president, died Friday, October 29th after a long illness. He was 77.

 During his presidency, de Rosset made a positive and significant impact on the college. Under his leadership, the college added new programs, including masters degrees in psychology and undergraduate programs in social work and leadership studies. He also spearheaded the RN-to-BSN program. As a result, Union saw more than a 30 percent increase in faculty and students. Additionally, de Rosset and his administration increased wages and salaries for college employees.

 Before his rise to presidency, de Rosset served Union for 18 years. He was Union’s Dean of Students and Vice President for Student Life from 1985 through 1999. In February 1999, de Rosset was appointed as Special Assistant to the President which allowed him to devote much of his energies to community relations and joint projects within the community.

 He was appointed to Union presidency in October 2004 by the board of trustees after serving for more than a year as interim president.

“Ed was deeply committed to Union College and continued to support Union after he left,” said Brian Strunk, Vice President for Institutional Advancement & Enrollment Management. “Loved by many, a scholarship endowment in his name means that his name will continue to be honored at Union in perpetuity. On a personal level, I recall fondly our conversations when I was a student at Union.”

 Another achievement under de Rosset’s direction was Union’s Energy Conservation Project. This involved the installation of 128 geothermal wells and energy-efficient updates around campus such as insulation, window replacement, energy monitoring and control systems, and the installation of high-tech furnaces. The project broke ground in 2006 with an energy-savings guarantee of $1.8 million over 15 years. In the first year alone, Union exceeded the projected $123,636 in savings with a total savings of $215,199.

 In 2010, de Rosset was named the William Hacker, M.D. Leader of the Year, presented annually to an individual from Knox, Laurel, or Whitley counties whose leaderships efforts and accomplishments most closely reflect the mission of Leadership Tri-County. The organizations’ mission is to identify and develop leadership resources in the area to create a better and more unified southeastern Kentucky through trust, respect, commitment, and service.

 Spending his early life in Peru with his missionary parents, de Rosset came back to the U.S. when he was 12. Upon his graduation from high school, de Rosset attended Berea College, earning his Bachelor of Arts in English in 1967. His work in higher education began that same year, as he became the Student Union and Campus Activities Director for Berea.

 Ed de Rosset earned his Master of Arts in Education from Eastern Kentucky University in 1975. In 1978, he took his experience to Roanoke, Virginia where he was the Dean of Students for National Business College. He remained at National Business College until 1985, the year de Rosset saw an advertisement for a position at Union College. He was brought to Barbourville where he impressed staff members Ed Black, Frances Patridge, and President Jack Phillips.

 Years later, Ed Black would talk about that interview, describing de Rosset as a “brick builder” and saying he was most impressed “by the Dean’s thoughtfulness, his caring ways, and his analytical thinking style.”

 Edward de Rosset left the college in June 2011 after 28 years of service. In 2014, Union College presented de Rosset with the Distinguished Service Award which is presented to a person who has demonstrated a commitment to promoting the goals and mission of the Alumni Association of Union College, and who has proven leadership and service within his or her community.

A memorial service honoring Ed will be planned in December on Union’s campus. Details are forthcoming. 

Memorial gifts may be made to a scholarship fund established for Chloe de Rosset at Union College, 310 College St., Barbourville, KY, 40906. Information regarding services for Edward de Rosset can be found here.