Stephen W. Nease

Stephen W. Nease (1925-2006) was born January 15, 1925 in Quincy, Massachusetts to Madeline Nostrand and Floyd W. Nease while his father was president of Eastern Nazarene College. He was the father of two daughters, Linda Scott and Melissa Wallace; four sons, Floyd Nease (Representative to the Vermont State House and Assistant Majority Leader), Stephen Nease, Jr., David Hardy Nease (who died at the age of 12), and David Wayne Nease.

Stephen W. Nease served as dean of men at Eastern Nazarene College in 1950. He became the executive field secretary in 1952, and was director of development in 1958. [ [http://www.enc.edu/downloads/summer_06.pdf "Remembering Dr. Stephen W. Nease, 1925–2006," "Christian Scholar", Eastern Nazarene College, Summer 2006] ] 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. [ [http://www.ncnnews.com/nphweb/media/umedia/HQ1/NCN/enews_archive/old/gnews0614.html NCNnews] ]

Education

Stephen W. Nease earned his AB from Brown University and his ThB from Eastern Nazarene College in 1951. [ [http://www.enc.edu/downloads/summer_06.pdf "Remembering Dr. Stephen W. Nease, 1925–2006," "Christian Scholar", Eastern Nazarene College, Summer 2006] ] He later completed graduate work at Harvard Divinity School, [ [http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=0&did=1018895631&SrchMode=1&sid=1&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1201278978&clientId=5677 Obituary; Dr. Stephen Nease of N.H., retired college president; "Boston Herald". Boston, Mass.: Apr 10, 2006. pg. 033] ] and ENC awarded him an honorary Doctor of Divinity in 1966.

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