Donald Newton Dedmon (August 13, 1931 – February 13, 1998) was an American academic administrator and communications consultant.
[2] Dedmon was portrayed by David Strathairn in the movie We Are Marshall, which details the aftermath of the crash and its effect on the school community.
[3] Dedmon spent much of the early 1990s away from Radford University on sabbatical in Hawaii and later on medical leave during a lengthy recovery from a ruptured spleen.
Due to ill health Dedmon announced his retirement from Radford University in June 1994, but officially held the presidency while on medical leave until August 1995.
His last public appearance at Radford University was in September 1995, when he spoke at the inauguration of his successor, Douglas Covington.