THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 17, 1996 TAG: 9601170339
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PHILIP WALZER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 51 lines
Michael F. LaBouve, the longtime provost of Tidewater Community College's Virginia Beach campus, died at his home Monday. He was 63.
``Whatever this campus is, he's the one who made it happen,'' said Joe Buchanan, the dean of enrollment and student services at the campus.
LaBouve became provost of the campus shortly after it opened in 1971. Enrollment then was about 1,500, Buchanan recalled. Now the campus is the college's biggest, with 10,000 students.
Buchanan described LaBouve as ``extremely fair, exceptionally thorough, a superb listener and stubborn as hell. He always really had the interest of all elements of the college community in mind, whether you're talking about students, faculty and staff, and would advocate vigorously on many occasions for the common good.''
LaBouve also was instrumental in creating an adopt-a-school program in the '80s linking the Virginia Beach Chamber of Commerce and the public school system. At the time, it was one of the nation's largest, Buchanan said. ``He had a strong belief in the value of the workplace as an educational tool and thought it was terribly important for young people to have real-life experiences.''
LaBouve, a native of Sheboygan, Wis., received his bachelor's degree from Mississippi College. He went on to get a master's degree in counseling from the University of Alabama and a doctorate in college administration from Florida State University.
Before working in education, he was an Air Force mechanic and Baptist minister. He was director of student affairs at the University of Alabama's Huntsville division before coming to TCC.
``He was probably my closest professional colleague,'' Buchanan said.
Buchanan will serve as acting provost until a permanent replacement is named.
LaBouve lived in Virginia Beach with his wife, Janelle, an editorial assistant at The Virginian-Pilot. They have six grown children and eight grandchildren.
Friends are invited to visit the family at Rosewood-Kellum Funeral Home, on 601 N. Witchduck Road in Virginia Beach, from 7 to 9 tonight. The funeral will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday at Kings Grant Baptist Church. Burial will be in Rosewood Memorial Park.
Contributions may be made to Habitat for Humanity of Virginia Beach or the Judeo-Christian Outreach Center in Virginia Beach. by CNB