Forrest Gathercoal

Forrest Gathercoal, 80, passed away peacefully on August 9, 2012 from Myelodysplastic Syndrome, a rare blood disorder. He was born Forrest James Gathercoal in Chicago, Illinois on May 26, 1932 to Paul and Marion Gathercoal. In 1940, he moved with his parents and sister Peggy to Corvallis, Oregon, where he graduated from Corvallis High School in 1950. Forrest met his wife, Joan Baines, at Oregon State College in 1950. They were married for almost 60 years. Forrest served in the armed services during the Korean War. He was a member of the United States Air Force Marching Band where he played tuba and was a soloist on the marimba. When his term of service ended he returned to Eugene, Oregon, to finish a Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Oregon, graduating in 1957. His first teaching position was teaching music in the Junction City, Oregon, schools were he was band director and coach of the boys' tennis and golf teams. Forrest returned to the University of Oregon where he earned a masters degree in school counseling. In 1963, Forrest left his teaching position to attend the University of Oregon Law School where he graduated in 1966. He returned to education at the University of Oregon as Assistant Director of Placement Service. In 1969 he accepted a position as Director of the Office of Educational Placement at Oregon State University and was later made the Associate Director of the Office of Career Planning and Placement. While serving in this position, Forrest began teaching courses at OSU's School of Education. He served as Assistant Dean of the School of Education from 1973 to 1976; he continued his work in the Career Planning and Placement office until 1981; he was Assistant to the Dean for Merger Activities, establishing the OSU-WOSC School of Education; and, he served as the OSU Discrimination Compliance Officer from 1976-1993. It was while teaching at the School of Education that Forrest developed a new model of classroom management and school discipline that he first published in 1986 under the title, Judicious Discipline. The model led to eight additional books and numerous articles that expanded this model to other areas including music teaching, coaching, and parenting. He also co-authored several books with his younger brother Paul Gathercoal, Jr. Forrest advocated that on the first day of class educators should introduce themselves by saying, "Good morning students, I am your teacher and I am here to protect your human rights." Through this one greeting, he says a relationship is established creating a feeling among students that their educational leader is there to help and support each and every one of them as individuals. In 1993, Forrest retired from his position as Professor of Education in the School of Education at OSU and was awarded the title, Professor Emeritus of Education. Since that time he has taught as an adjunct professor at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon and he has conducted hundreds of workshops in Judicious Discipline around the state, region, nation and at international conferences and scholarly presentations. His work will long be remembered and his ideas will pervade democratic classrooms and family units around the world. Forrest had many interests which he passionately pursued. He loved his family and he created a family band with Joan and his son and daughter, Bob and Sue; he mastered the banjo; he was an avid tennis player and golfer, and he was fanatically obsessive about his 50 plus cars. He often said, " I had nine holes-in one and I wrote nine books." Forrest Gathercoal is survived by his wife, Joan Gathercoal; his son, Bob Gathercoal; his daughter, Sue Thayer; his sisters Peggy Poling and Bonny GathercoalPotter; his brother Paul Gathercoal, Jr; eleven grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren; and a large extended family. Forrest touched many lives through his classroom teaching, his workshops, and his books. Many colleagues, students, friends, and family will remember him saying loud and clear, "Good morning, I'm Forrest Gathercoal, and I'm here to protect your human rights." A "Celebration of Life" will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 29, 2012, at the First United Methodist Church in Corvallis, Oregon. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be sent to the OSU Foundation, 850 SW 35th Street, Corvallis, OR 97333-4014, for the College of Education in the name of Forrest Gathercoal.

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Forrest Gathercoal

May 26, 1932 - August 9, 2012