Harold E. Binford Business Scholarship

Scholarship Eligibility:

A. be a declared business or accounting major;
B. have completed a minimum of 60 credits by the end of the spring semester in which the scholarship is awarded for the following year;
C. have completed a minimum of 30 credits at Western;
D. be among the top 5 as ranked by overall GPA; and be
E. be selected by a vote of the faculty from among the top 5 GPAs.

Friends honored Dr. Binford with this fund in 1975 when he retired from Western as Professor and Chairman of the Division of Business. When Dr. Binford announced his retirement from WCU, he was offered a choice of two options: a clock (or other material gift), or a scholarship in his name. Fortunately for many Western students, he chose the scholarship.

The late Dr. Binford was a “student’s professor.” As Chairman of the WCU Business Division, he had many non-teaching administrative duties, but his heart and where he always wanted to be were in the classroom. He truly loved his students, especially those who showed the drive and willingness to learn. He would not want anyone with the desire to learn to be denied that opportunity because of a lack of resources. He was always one to lend a helping hand when a student needed advice, tutorial assistance, counseling, or guidance.

Dr. Binford’s survivors would want the recipients of his scholarship to know that as a professor and in all aspects of his life, Dr. Binford set very high standards for himself and those with whom he associated, and that is a legacy he would want upheld. By being selected, the recipients of the Harold Binford Business Scholarship can be justly proud that they have met or exceeded those demanding standards. For that, they are to be congratulated and they are encouraged to continue their studies at the highest level of academics and integrity.

The late Dr. Binford retired from his position a Chairman of the Division of Business at Western Colorado University and Professor of Business in 1975, after 28 years of service to the college and the Gunnison community. Dr. Binford came to WCU in the fall of 1947 as a professor of Business with the charge to organize the department of business, which had previously been under the social studies department. As the first and longtime chairman of the Business Division, Dr. Binford developed a smoothly directed, efficient organization, producing a highly respected division including many outstanding faculty members. At the time of his retirement in 1975, the business division had over 1,000 majors a year and 16 full-time faculty members. At one time, nearly 40% of the college enrollment was in the Business Division. In 1964, Dr. Binford and his associates on the business faculty were instrumental in establishing the graduate major in business at WCU.

Upon graduation from college, Dr. Binford’s first vocation was a high school coach, and in 1940 his basketball team from Buhler, Kansas was the state champion in its division. That team has frequent reunions, and at each one until his passing in 2001, he was honored and truly revered. In 1957, he received his doctorate, and Ed.D, certainly an advanced degree worthy of high recognition. Nonetheless, to his dying day, he would have much rather be referred to as "Coach" than as “Doctor.” It was that mentality that motivated him to be so helpful to others, and that made him such a beloved professor to his students.