It was the thoughtfulness of a teacher that changed the life of Norman Harbaugh Sr.
He grew up in the coal mining town of Windber, Penn., 60 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, and the prospect of college wasn’t on his radar, said his son and namesake, Dr. Norman “Chip” Ross Harbaugh Jr.
“It was his junior year in high school, and one of his teachers said to him, ‘I see something in you,’” the younger Harbaugh said. “That experience totally changed his life, and from then on, he wanted to give back and touch the lives of others, like his teacher did for him.”
Norman Harbaugh went on to earn degrees from Columbia, Stanford, and Harvard universities, but he rarely made that known. He also directed the graduate business administration program at Georgia State University for several years, his son said.
“He once said he wasn’t trying to build a resume, he wanted to touch lives,” the younger Harbaugh said.
Norman Ross Harbaugh Sr. of Stone Mountain died Sept. 20 from complications of cancer. He was 89. A memorial service was held Saturday at Mountain Park First Baptist Church, Stone Mountain. Floral Hills Funeral Home was in charge of cremation arrangements.
Harbaugh’s service in the Navy broke up his undergraduate education, which began at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in the ‘40s. He eventually earned his bachelor’s of science from Columbia in 1950. He went on to earn three graduate degrees, a master’s of arts from Stanford in 1951; and an MBA and a doctorate of business administration from Harvard in 1955 and 1965, respectively.
After spending 30 years in the Navy, a career that went alongside much of his schooling, Harbaugh wanted to turn more of his attention to teaching. He’d previously taught classes at Northwestern and George Washington universities, but he wanted something permanent. He retired from the Navy, and he and his wife, Sally Harbaugh, moved to Atlanta where he took a job at GSU. He arrived as Georgia State was establishing its business school, his son said. Harbaugh eventually led the school’s MBA program, where he was known for teaching a particular class.
“People would say, ‘Are you Dr. Harbaugh’s son?’ and of course I’d say yes,” Chip Harbaugh said. “And then they’d say, ‘Oh, I remember him from Management 360.’”
The senior Harbaugh’s teaching wasn’t limited to the academic classroom. He was a dedicated Sunday School teacher and he gave community talks on various subjects, including time management.
The Rev. Harold Zwald, pastor emeritus at Druid Hills Baptist Church, said he remembers when the Harbaugh’s arrived at the church in the ‘70s.
“We were both Navy men,” the preacher said, “but he was definitely a good teacher. He had a command of his subject, in this case the Bible, and he could deliver that information to others very well. He was a very good organizer, too.”
He participated in a number of mission trips, with the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. He was eager to help others by sharing his knowledge and thoughts, his son said.
“He was really good one-on-one with somebody,” the younger Harbaugh said. “He could really share his life story that way.”
In addition to his wife of 55 years, and his son, Harbaugh is survived by three grandchildren.
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