Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Everett Frost died Monday at age 82.
Steve Gamble, left, and Everett Frost attended events celebrating ENMU's 85th birthday in 2019.
If you’re looking for a word to summarize Everett Frost’s contribution to Eastern New Mexico University, that word would be stability.
That’s according to Steven Gamble, Frost’s friend who succeeded him as ENMU president in 2001.
“A university can only grow when it has stability. Everett gave that stability to the institution and the institution advanced accordingly,” Gamble said Tuesday after learning of Frost’s death on Monday.
Frost, who turned 82 last week, was ENMU’s eighth president, serving from 1991 to 2001.
His passing was announced on the ENMU Anthropology Department’s Facebook page. Friends said he had been ill for some time.
“We are saddened to report the death of our professor, colleague, and friend, Dr. Everett Frost …” the post read in part.
“He retired in 2001, but continued to occasionally teach anthropology classes for us. He and his wife Jan, Professor Emerita of Anthropology, were always strong supporters of our department and all things Eastern.”
Frost came to the Portales university as a member of the anthropology faculty in 1970. Newspaper archives show he was an assistant and an associate professor from 1970 to 1976 and was assistant dean of the College of Liberal Arts from 1976 to 1978. He served two years as dean of Academic Affairs and Graduate Studies before being named vice president for Planning and Analysis in 1980. He held that position until he was named president, succeeding Thomas Bond.
Gamble became friends with Frost when Gamble was hired as ENMU’s ninth president.
“He was everything a former university president needed to be,” Gamble said.
“He turned over a university that was in really good shape. He’d made good hires, so we had good people in all the positions.
“Anytime I needed to ask questions or talk to him, he’d be frank and tell me what I needed to hear. At the same time, he never interfered at all. He’s one of my favorite people and I’m really sorry he’s gone.”
Frost, from Salt Lake City, remained in Portales after retiring from ENMU.
“I think he was lot like me. He couldn’t think of a reason to leave Portales where we made so many friends,” Gamble said.
“I do know that he continued his research (in anthropology) after he retired. He would show up at university events … For me, he was always a friend and mentor.”
Comments left on the ENMU Anthropology Department page included:
Keith Adams: I’m saddened to hear of Dr. Frost’s passing. He was a good man and a great professor. He certainly had a positive impact on my life. My sincerest condolences to all family members.
Mary Fanelli Ayala: I am so sorry to hear this. Everett was always a man of great intelligence, integrity, and compassion. I was privileged to start my career under his mentorship.
Emmy Tafoya Mullennix: My very first anthropology class was one of the last classes he taught. He was incredibly kind and I remember enjoying his dry sense of humor.
One of Frost’s last official duties as ENMU president came at a board of regents meeting on May 11, 2001. The Clovis News Journal reported regents gave him a standing ovation and thanked him for his guidance and leadership.
The anthropology department Facebook post reported no funeral services will be held, but an obituary would be published. The department requested memorial contributions be made to the ENMU General Scholarship Fund.
