Many in the DCCCD have had the privilege of working with Ted, who was with the District since 1973. Ted was at the core of the success of the District's distance learning operation.

Ted was born in Chicago, Illinois. He received his Bachelor's degree from Olivet College in Michigan majoring in Physics and received his Master's degree from Wayne State University in Michigan, also majoring in Physics. He served in the U.S. Army as a military intelligence officer stationed in Europe. He completed graduate studies at the University of Colorado in 1954 where he began his career in higher education as Assistant Professor of Physics at the Colorado School of Mines for 9 years. In 1965 he became the Head of Physics at the Highland Lakes campus of Oakland Community College in Michigan.

He returned to Colorado in 1966 as the Dean of Instruction for Colorado Mountain College for three years and was Acting President for over 10 months. Ted then spent four years in Westport, Connecticut, as the Program Director, Senior Program Director and Vice President/Education Director for Future Resources & Development, Inc.

As Coordinator of Individual Learning Instruction with the Northwood Institute in Midland, Michigan, Ted's work brought him to Texas at their facility in Cedar Hill. Dr. Jan LeCroy hired Ted in May of 1973 as a consultant for the District's second telecourse production, "Man And Environment." He worked on every major telecourse project and with well over 100 faculty members in this District. During his career with DCCCD, Ted was District Instructional Development Specialist, Instructional Design Specialist, Coordinator for Telecourse Implementation and Instructional Design, and Director of Instructional Services.

After his official retirement from the District in 1991, Ted returned to work part-time. He continued to foster relationships with prospective and existing clients from colleges and universities nationally and was a liaison with textbook publishers. Ted has authored many publications on distance learning and was tour guide premiere for the LeCroy Center visitors ranging from school age children to dignitaries of foreign countries.

The recipient of numerous awards, Ted received the Career Achievement Award in 1993 from the Instructional Technology Council of the American Association of Community Colleges, and he received the "Ziggy Award" in 1999 for his contributions to the distance learning field, presented by The Telelearning People, a national consortium of leading distributors of telecourses. The Ziggy award is named in honor of distance learning pioneer Dr. James Zigerell of City Colleges of Chicago.

Theodore (Ted) Pohrte passed away Friday, February 28, 2003, at the age of 82. He will be missed by all. A DCCCD distance learning scholarship fund opportunity has been established in his memory.