When 23-year old Dick Terry became, in 1958, athletic director of the budding program at Castleton State College in Vermont, he looked to his alma mater for inspiration. "I initiated a physical education program in Vermont molded after Cortland's," recalled Terry, who had been out of college for only two years when he began at Castleton. "I believe my background and education was excellent and prepared me in an exceptional way to assume the position of athletic director at age 23." For the next quarter-of-a-century, until his early retirement in 1983, Terry embodied the spirit of Castleton State athletics while carving out its future. In addition to being athletic director and a physical education professor, Terry coached soccer, basketball, baseball, lacrosse, golf, volleyball and track. Indeed, Terry, who instituted the physical education major at Castleton, built a three-sport program into one offering 14 intercollegiate sports - seven each for men and women - by his retirement. He also fostered the athletic training program on the Vermont school campus.
Terry eventually focused his coaching energies on soccer, where his teams went 125-44-7 in 14 years and captured the 1963 NAIA national championship. In 1980, the Castleton soccer field was named in his honor. The recipient of the New England Soccer Honor Award, Terry was presented a trophy by the Vermont Soccer Coaches Association for his "outstanding contributions" to the sport.
A native of Troy, N.Y., Terry lettered in both track and field and soccer at Cortland, while also competing with the gymnastics exhibition team. A member of Beta Phi Epsilon fraternity, he earned a bachelor's degree in physical education from Cortland in 1956 and a master's degree from Penn State in 1958.
Terry, who has traveled extensively throughout Europe in the study of foreign sports, worked for a year at the Berkshire School for Boys in Canaan, N.Y., teaching physical education and directing club activities before arriving at Castleton. Active with the Boys Scouts and Lions Club, Terry has been involved with sales, college admissions and career counseling in Florida since his retirement from Castleton. He and his wife, Teri, have four children.
UPDATE- March, 2015: Terry was the author of the book, Successful Soccer Coaching, published by Coaches Choice Publishers Monterrey, CA in 2008. In addition to volunteering his time for the Knights of Columbus.
