Carl Weston McIntosh, Jr. (December 1, 1914 – January 19, 2009) was an American professor of forensics and acting. He served as president of Idaho State College (now Idaho State University) from 1947 to 1959. He was acting executive dean when the college achieved its independence from the University of Idaho in March 1947, and he elevated it into a four-year, bachelor's degree-granting institution in December 1948. He left Idaho in 1959 to become president of Long Beach State College (now known as California State University, Long Beach). He oversaw the college's rapid growth from less than 10,000 students to 28,000 and two name changes (to California State College at Long Beach in 1964 and to California State College, Long Beach in 1968). He was named president of Montana State University in 1970. He established the university's nursing and pre-medical education programs and completed its first football stadium and creative arts complex, but also faced a years of fiscal austerity imposed by the state legislature. He retired in 1977.
Life and career
Early life and education
Carl McIntosh was born on December 1, 1914, in Redlands, California, to Carl Weston and Cora Lulu (Williams) McIntosh. His father was born in Bay City, Michigan, on September 20, 1883. He moved to California in 1887 and became a real estate salesman. His mother, Cora Lulu Williams, was born in Morristown, Tennessee, on November 8, 1882. Her family moved to California in 1899.
McIntosh attended public schools in Redlands, and graduated from Redlands High School in 1932. He loved collecting insects, and drew extensive pictures of them. He received a bachelor's degree from the University of Redlands in 1936. He participated on the speech and debate team at the college, and won several national competitions. He considered majoring in entomology, but decided speech and debate were more fun. He then entered the University of Iowa, where he received his Master of Arts degree in 1937 and his Ph.D. in 1939. Both professional degrees were in speech communication. He studied music and voice at the Trinity College of Music in London, United Kingdom, for a short period of time in 1945, then entered the University of Redlands where he received his doctor of laws degree in 1952.
While engaged in his studies, McIntosh obtained an appointment as an instructor in forensics (public speaking) at Park College in Parkville, Missouri. He served as a time as acting head of his department. In 1939, McIntosh accepted a position as an instructor of forensics at what was then known as the Southern Branch of the University of Idaho. He was attracted to the college because it was in the mountains and McIntosh could indulge his love of fishing. He was promoted to assistant professor of speech in 1940.
In 1943, McIntosh enlisted in the United States Army. He served in several capacities with the War Manpower Conservation Division and the Information and Education Division in the United Kingdom. He was the assigned to the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF), during which he saw service in Belgium, France, and Germany. His wife was pregnant with their daughter, and moved in 1943 to be with her family in Missouri. She gave birth to Diana in 1944. McIntosh received an honorable discharge in 1946, and when he returned to the United States he saw his 18-month-old daughter for the first time.
Idaho State College and Long Beach State College
McIntosh returned to Idaho and resumed teaching. He was promoted to associate professor of speech, and served as director of the Summer Session and as Acting Executive Dean in 1947. In March 1947, the Southern Branch was made independent and renamed Idaho Southern College. The departing Executive Dean, John R. Nichols, was so impressed with McIntosh's public speaking skills that he successfully persuaded the board of regents to appoint McIntosh the first president of the new college. At 32 years of age, he was one of the youngest college presidents in the United States. Although McIntosh was not originally interested in being an administrator, once the school became an independent college he decided he wanted to remain president and see it through its early growing pains.