This article was submitted to Gilliland Trails by Nancy Downard and transcribed by Kate Maynard, 2008.

PAGE 2           THE PORTSMOUTH TIMES           JAN 16, 1940

W. D. GILLILAND 
TO LEAVE P.H.S.
FOR COLLEGE JOB
_________

To Be Assistant To President 
Of Chicago Institution
Serving 3,000
_________

    Walter D. Gilliland, teacher of Portsmouth High School, resigned Monday night to accept a position as assitant to the president of Central college, Chicago.
    The city school board accepted the resignation effective Jan. 26 with regrets.
    In going to Chicago Mr. Gilliland will be accepting a newly-created position at the college, which is a rapidly-growing senior college located in the Chicago Loop District with an enrollment of 3,000 students. The college is co-educational.
    Mr. Gilliland stressed the fact that the college offer came to him unexpectedly and that he had not sought the position. He will assume his new duties on Feb 1. Central college is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and of the Association of American Colleges.

Native of Chile

    A native of Chile, South America, Mr. Gilliland has had an interesting and varied life. He is widely known as an educator, world traveler and lecturer. His father was an educator before him, having founded a college in Chile. Mr. Gilliland was educated in private schools in Chile, remaining with his parents in that country until he entered Ohio Wesleyan university.
    He was graduated from Ohio Wesleyan with high scholastic honors and was a member of Sigma Rho, honorary public speaking fraternity. He won an oratorical contest for O.W.U. during his college career. In 1906 Mr. Gilliland came to Portsmouth to teach in the schools here, later becoming principal of Portsmouth High school, a position he retained six years. He resigned to accept a position with the Selby Shoe Co. where he remained until the World war.
    Mr. Gilliland volunteered for service and was sent to an officer training school and was commissioned. He served as a company commander and as battalion adjutant for the 100th division infantry. Much of his service in the army was of an educational nature.
    Following the war Mr. Gilliland became assistant office manager of the Goodrich Rubber Co., Akron. Later he was editorial manager of the Foundation Press at Cleveland. After his association with the Foundation Press, Mr. Gilliland became personnel manager of the Raymond-Whitcomb Co. of Boston, a travel agency.
    During the time he was associated with the travel company Mr. Gilliland conducted many tours and cruises. He has been around the world several times and has visited in many countries.  His tours have been to all parts of the world. Mr. Gilliland has been to the most northern city in the world and to the most southern city in the world.
    In June, 1934, Mr. Gilliland returned to Portsmouth to accept a position with the Shelby Shoe Co., but the following year accepted an appointment as grade school supervisor of the upper grades. Later Mr. Gilliland was named dean of boys and assistant principal of Portsmouth High school. For the last year he has been instructor of history in the high school.
    An interesting sidelight on the life of Mr. Gilliland is that he had the opportunity of choosing between citizenship in the United States or in Chile. He chose the United States because, as he often remarked, “it has the finest form of government of any country.”

Frequent Speaker

Mr. Gilliland has been a learned addition to Portsmouth and during his residency here has been a favorite speaker for many clubs, banquets and other public functions.
    Last year Mr. Gilliland was elected president of the Portsmouth Teachers’ association. He is also a member of the American Legion, Portsmouth Reading club and Bigelow Methodist church. He was married in June, 1910, to Miss Charlotte Pelton, a native of Conneaut.