Theodore ‘Ted’ Pohrte
Born in Chicago, Ted Pohrte received his bachelor’s degree from Olivet College in Michigan and his master’s degree from Wayne State University in Michigan, both in physics. After serving as a U.S. Army intelligence officer in Europe, he completed graduate studies at the University of Colorado in 1954 and began his career in higher education as assistant professor of physics at the Colorado School of Mines. In 1965, he became the head of physics at the Highland Lakes campus of Oakland Community College in Michigan.
He returned to Colorado in 1966 as the dean of instruction for Colorado Mountain College. He held that position for three years, serving as acting president for nearly a year. Mr. Pohrte then spent four years in Westport, Conn., as the program director, senior program director and vice president and education director for Future Resources & Development Inc.
As coordinator of individual learning instruction with the Northwood Institute in Midland, Mich., Mr. Pohrte’s work brought him to the institute’s facility in Cedar Hill. Dr. Jan LeCroy, then Dallas County Community College District chancellor, hired him in May 1973 to serve as a consultant for the district’s second telecourse production, “Man and Environment.”
During his DCCCD career, Ted Pohrte worked on every major telecourse project in the district, working with more than 100 faculty members. He served as district instructional development specialist, instructional design specialist, coordinator for telecourse implementation and instructional design and director of instructional services.
After his official retirement from the district in 1991, he continued to foster relationships with prospective and existing clients from colleges and universities nationally and — author of many publications on distance learning — served as a liaison with textbook publishers.
Recipient of numerous awards, Mr. Pohrte received the Career Achievement Award in 1993 from the Instructional Technology Council of the American Association of Community Colleges and the Ziggy Award in 1999 for his contributions to the distance learning field, presented by The Telelearning People, a national consortium of leading distributors of telecourses.
Ted Pohrte passed away in 2003 at the age of 82. He will remembered as a tireless promoter of distance learning and a leader of the district’s program since its inception.