Boyd Lee March

Dr. B. Lee March was born to parents Ruby (White) March and Virgil Boyd March in Macon, MO on April 11, 1958. The first member of his immediate family to graduate high school and attend college, Lee pursued his interest in both international and local politics by earning his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Political Science from Northeast Missouri State University (now Truman State University).

Following the completion of his Master’s, Lee spent several years working in local and county government administration as a city manager, a city administrator, and an administrator for a local government retirement program. His true passion was ultimately teaching, however, as he discovered while serving as an adjunct instructor at Buena Vista College. Once he knew that he wanted to teach at the college level, Lee returned to school to earn his Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Missouri. After teaching stints at “Mizzou” and Columbia College, Lee found his academic home in 1993 when he accepted a position at Young Harris College in the north Georgia mountains.

Outside of time with his family, working with students in the classroom was what Lee loved most. More than a professor, he became a mentor to his students: challenging them, encouraging them to stretch their boundaries, and supporting them through difficult times. His students loved and supported him in return, voting him YHC Teacher of the Year nine times. He was especially proud to have designed and led several study abroad trips for students: to Vietnam in 2005, to Southeast Asia in 2009, and to Russia in 2010.

Lee’s legacy at Young Harris College extends far beyond the classroom, however. Beyond his service as Dean of the Division of Social & Behavioral Sciences for ten years, he belonged to numerous administrative committees that helped shepherd Young Harris College’s transition from two-year college to four-year college. He was a sought-after speaker and moderator for events on and off campus.

An avid reader of political and military history he read and wrote extensively about American involvement in Southeast Asia and Vietnam in particular.

After a long battle with chronic illness, Lee passed away in Clay County, NC on April 8, 2023. A memorial service for him will be held in Young Harris on Saturday, June 10, 2023 at Young Harris College Camous (by the Chapel) from 3:00-5:00 pm, and Lee’s final resting place will be in Weldon, Iowa.

He is preceded in death by his parents, his brother Bill White, and his father-in-law Evan Branson. He is survived by wife Debra March, son Bill March and daughter-in-law Kristin Hall, son Ben March, sister Bonnie Zimmerle, nephew Ernie White, mother-in- law Joyce Branson, brother- and sister-in-law Evan Branson and Shellee Showalter and niece Sydney Branson.

He leaves behind an extended family by blood, by marriage, and by interactions with colleagues and students through the years.

Donations in Lee's memory may be made to Young Harris College, PO Box 275, Young Harris,  GA 30582.