Gay Selby (’80 EdD Higher Ed. Admin.), a pioneering education leader in Washington state and at Washington State University Vancouver, died July 7, 2025, at age 83.

Over 150 faculty and former students joined her family for the memorial at a WSU Vancouver lecture hall below Selby Tower, named in her honor.

Gay Selby smiling, clapping at an event
Gay Selby (Courtesy WSU Vancouver)

“Dr. Gay Selby was a proud and unapologetically loyal Coug, a trailblazer in leadership, and a fierce advocate for K-12 and higher education,” says education leader Gene Sharratt (’72, ’83 PhD Ed.).

As an early female high school principal in Washington state, Selby led Pullman High School from 1974 to 1977. She entered WSU’s Educational Leadership program in 1974 and was mentored by her WSU doctoral adviser, education professor George Brain, from 1977–1980. In 1980, she became the first female superintendent of a larger school district, in Kelso.

A dedicated and influential member of the Washington Association of School Administrators for 45 years, Selby made history in 1978 as the first woman and first non-superintendent to run for president-elect.

After retiring from K–12 education, Selby became a clinical professor in the College of Education at WSU Vancouver, where she mentored and inspired a new generation of leaders. Her contributions to WSU Vancouver were monumental: Site Selection Committee member, chair of the Advisory Council, and leader of the search for the campus’s second chancellor.

Selby was a proud and devoted WSU football fan. She braved all kinds of weather to cheer on her beloved Cougs. Her commitment to WSU extended beyond the stands. She supported the university through philanthropy and countless volunteer hours.

Selby’s leadership was defined by compassion, clarity, and an unwavering belief in the transformative power of public education. For her, public education was not merely a career⁠—it was a calling. “I firmly believe that public education is the foundation of our democracy,” she once said. “I have always felt a responsibility to be an advocate for public education and for public school educators.”