Dr. Paul Richard Heath 

Freshman and Senior Class President

Baseball:  Varsity - 4 years

Basketball:  Varsity - 3 years

All Conference - Senior Year

Football:  Varsity - 2 years

All Conference - Quarterback

Football Champions - Senior year

College Experience:  

Western Michigan University 

Freshman Football - Quarterback

Central Michigan University 

Baseball - 3 years Varsity

All Conference Second Baseman, 1959

R.G. Carlson Award (Student Athlete Scholarship Award)

IIAC-Conference Academic Award for highest GPA of student/athletes

Graduated Cum Laude

Coaching Career:  

1959-60 Central Michigan University

Graduate Assistant Coach for Freshmen Football, Freshman 

1960-63 Howell High School

Head Basketball Coach, Head Baseball Coach, and Assistant Football Coach

1963-64 New Smyrna Beach High School

Assistant Football Coach

1964-65 Kellogg Community College

Assistant Basketball Coach, Cross Country Coach, Track Coach

Since graduating from Sparta High School in 1952, Paul has had an impressive career as an educator. Paul completed two years of undergraduate study at Western Michigan University, received a bachelor’s degree from Central Michigan University, and his master’s degree from Central Michigan University. In between his undergraduate and graduate work he served two years in the United States Navy. He also attended Michigan State University for four years in a part-time graduate study in a non-degree program and then went back to Western Michigan University for a Leadership Program in Higher Education for two years.

All is not work for Paul, as he did find time in 1956 to marry Mary Jean Kearce in Jacksonville, Florida. They have two children, Kathleen Renee and Paul Kevin, born Father’s Day in 1963 in Howell. Both children have followed in dad’s scholarly footsteps. Kathleen completed her bachelor’s degree at Northeast Missouri State University, and she expects to complete her master’s degree in the near future. Paul graduated with honors from Northeast Missouri State University, completed his master’s degree at Michigan State University, and is enrolled in a Doctoral Program at Miami of Ohio.

Paul has held many positions in his chosen profession of education. He is currently President of Elgin Community College in Elgin, Illinois. Prior to that, he was the founding President of John Wood Community College in Quincy, Illinois, the Academic Dean at Parkersburg Community College, Parkersburg, West Virginia, and Vice President for Instruction at Kellogg Community College in Battle Creek, Michigan. Paul received a Centennial Award from Central Michigan University. He was one of 129 graduates selected from over 100,000 CMU alumni who were recognized for distinguished work in their profession. Even with his busy schedule, Paul still finds time to enjoy tennis and golf. 

Paul says, “Champion athletes recognize a rather strange phenomena - that being, the harder they work, the luckier they get! Be the best you can be and thank the Lord each day for your faith, family, community, and country. Be proud of Sparta High School, it has a great tradition.”