From the Cleveland Daily Banner: L. Quentin Lane, 88, president emeritus at Cleveland State Community College, passed away June 5 at his home in F
From the Cleveland Daily Banner: L. Quentin Lane, 88, president emeritus at Cleveland State Community College, passed away June 5 at his home in Florida. He served as the college’s second president, succeeding David Adkisson, and serving from 1978 to 1985.
Before becoming president, Lane served at the school as director of continuing education, director of research and dean of interaction, beginning in 1971.
A graduate of Middle Tennessee State University at the age of 19, Lane taught in Chattanooga schools for several years before coming to CSCC. He received his master’s degree from George Peabody College and his doctorate from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
He was assistant principal of Brainerd High School and later principal at Elbert S. Long School, both in Chattanooga. Three of his brothers obtained master’s degrees and were also school principals in Hamilton County.
Lane is considered one of the founding fathers of Cleveland State, along with Adkisson, George L. Mathis, John Bradley and Jim Cigliano. The CSCC gymnasium is named for Lane.
According to the school magazine “50 Years of Excellence,” printed in 2017, Lane was “the youngest of seven brothers, his mother died when he was four years old and his 23-year-old brother became the head of the family. All of the brothers worked together to run the family farm.”
Like many of his brothers, he was led into education, and at CSCC, he is credited with many accomplishments. He initiated the four-day week, as well as several other energy-saving measures to deal with the national energy crisis.
According to “50 Years of Excellence,” Cleveland State exceeded 4,000 students for the first time during Lane’s tenure; grants were acquired to improve the campus facilities for the disabled; off-campus sites were expanded; the college was named as the administrative entity for the Job Training Partnership Act; and a Youth Enrichment Program was inaugurated.
He also served a president of the Middle Tennessee State University National Alumni Association, president of the Chattanooga Phi Delta Kappa Honor Fraternity, and as president of the Higher Education Division of the Tennessee Education Association.
Lane is survived by his wife of 43 years, Evelyn, of Fleming Island, Florida; his daughter, Darlene Lane-Detman of Ooltewah; stepson, Stephen Higgins of Jacksonville, Florida; stepdaughter, Kelly Jackson of Fleming Island; and step-granddaughter, Asia d’Acquarone of Verona, Italy.
No memorial service is being planned, per his instructions, and his obituary reads “in lieu of flowers or donations, show love and kindness to others.”
