Retired Assistant Professor in the Department of Business and Economics

WINSTON-SALEM, NC (August 6, 2019)—Salem College honors Dr. Richard E. Johe, retired Assistant Professor in the Department of Business and Economics, who passed away on Friday, August 2. Dr. Johe taught at Salem College for 29 years, retiring in 2017. He was beloved by colleagues and students for his passion, commitment, and inspiring mentorship.

Johe had several impressive careers prior to his work at Salem College. His first was in the Navy, which spanned 22 years and involved seven tours of duty, earning him the rank of Commander. He later worked at the State Department and then in business at both SeaLand and RJ Reynolds where he focused on international trade and shipping. With a PhD in Political Science from Duke University, Johe was hired by Martha Fleer at Salem College in 1988 as an adjunct professor. Soon thereafter he decided to get his MBA degree from UNC-Greensboro so he could teach full-time in Salem College’s Department of Business & Economics.

“During his many years at Salem, Dr. Johe was a passionate educator and mentor to our students and a committed member of the department and college,” said Dr. Eve Rapp, Professor, Salem College Department of Business and Economics. “Each year, for many years, he hosted the departmental senior dinner to honor each graduate with an elegant dinner, a yellow rose, and a certificate of recognition. It was this passionate dedication to our students that we will remember the most.”

As a faculty member, Johe was awarded a Fulbright Senior Research Fellowship to Latvia. He taught business and management in Riga, Latvia at the University of Latvia and the Stockholm School of Economics for the fall semester of 1999 and the spring semester of 2001. At the request of the University of Latvia, he spent five more years teaching summer sessions under a separate Fulbright program. Johe traveled with students to China and Oxford, England; he was the faculty advisor to the Sigma Beta Delta Honor Society and to Salem’s Rotaract Club; and he was Chair of the Scholarship Committee for the Fulbright, Marshall, & Rhodes scholarships. Prior to his retirement, he achieved the goal of having one of his students win a Fulbright for study abroad.

“For Salem’s students, Dr. Johe was a transformational and inspirational professor,” said Dr. Rapp. “A former student summed his profound impact best, ‘Some people make more than a career out of their work…they make a difference.’ We at Salem will remember always Dr. Johe’s dedication to service, his deep respect for the process of education, and his warm and collegial personality.”

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