And with that suggestion, Sam began to (as he would interject in song) “move on down the road” to become a counselor who wrote prolifically, taught thousands of students, and left a lasting impact on the field of counseling.

As a young counselor, Sam aligned himself with Carl Rogers, and while he expanded his theoretical perspective over time, he lived and exemplified Rogers’ core conditions of genuineness, unconditional positive regard, and empathy. As a graduate student
 being taught from several of his textbooks, I was a bit awe-struck when I first met Sam after a delightfully humorous and inspiring presentation at a Chi Sigma Iota workshop. When we broke into small groups, I witnessed how he responded to each member
 in a gentle way where each felt heard and valued. Over the years, I came to realize anyone who interacted with Sam experienced this same gentle attentiveness — combined with a bit of song and a pun.

Sam Gladding had many professional roles, all which he performed with excellence. He was a professor at Wake Forest and also served there as assistant to the president for special projects, associate provost, and chair of the Department of Counseling.
 He authored 45 books, three of those published in 2021, the year of his death. He mentored both students and new counselor educators, offering encouragement and direction. Throughout his professional career, he served as president of the American
 Counseling Association, Chi Sigma Iota, and many other counseling associations. In addition to these roles, Sam was “a counselor,” an identity and a role he owned proudly.

Though Sam did not become a minister, he sought out ways to minister to those in distress. In 1995, he took a group of undergraduate students to Calcutta, India to work in some of Mother Teresa’s homes for the destitute and dying. After the attack on
 the World Trade Center, Sam went to New York to provide psychological first aid to the families of those killed. Later, when a campus shooting occurred at Virginia Tech, Sam provided assistance to the faculty and students.

For all of his accomplishments, Sam received numerous international awards and recognitions, and with each he accepted humbly and with sincere gratitude. However, Sam was keenly aware of the work done by counselors who provide direct services to students
 and clients and felt they were often overlooked when awards were presented. So, he and his wife, Claire, established ACA’s Samuel T. Gladding’s Unsung Hero Award as a way of recognizing those doing this important work.

Sam thoroughly embraced and enjoyed his life, and while his faith prepared him for Life’s ending, his exuberance for life made him very reluctant to leave and miss out on so many experiences. He cherished the times he shared with his wife Claire and their
 three sons — Ben, Nate, and Tim, and he beamed proudly when Ben and his wife Sara made him a grandfather with the arrival of Leo Templeman Gladding.

The counseling profession lost an incredible man, leader and scholar with the passing of Sam Gladding, and the world lost a source of creativity, laughter, wisdom and compassion. Sam wrote of endings and beginnings in his poem “Goodbye and Hello.”

Saying “good bye” is bittersweet


as it marks the start of transition.

So I prefer to say “good day”

or let departures pass in silence.

Yet in bidding a final farewell to the group

I am free to create new “hellos.”

Sam Gladding, 1993


Good bye, and thank you, Sam Gladding, til a new “hello.”


Obituary for Dr. Samuel Templeman Gladding
Published by Salem Funerals & Cremations


Dr. Samuel Templeman Gladding, 76, of Winston-Salem died December 6, 2021, at the Kate B. Reynolds Hospice Home.


He was born in Decatur, GA, the son of the late Russell and Gertrude Gladding. He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Claire Gladding of Winston-Salem, sons Ben Gladding (Sara) of Casablanca, Morocco, Nate Gladding and Tim Gladding of Winston-Salem,
 and grandson Leo Templeman Gladding of Casablanca. He is also survived by his brother, Russell Gladding (Kathy) of Vidalia, Georgia, his sister Peggy Smith of Atlanta, and many loving family, friends, students, and colleagues.


He received a Bachelor of Arts in history at Wake Forest, a Master of Arts in religion at Yale, a Master of Arts in counseling at Wake Forest and a Ph.D. in family relations at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Dr. Gladding also completed
 a post-doctorate in psychology at UNC-G. At Wake Forest, he was in the Army ROTC program and completed his military service in the Army Reserves at Fort Lee, VA. In 2016, he was inducted into the Army ROTC National Hall of Fame.


Dr. Gladding was internationally recognized as a prolific author of books on counseling and served as a professor of counseling at Wake Forest University for over 30 years. During his career he traveled worldwide speaking, teaching, and consulting. He
 served as president of the American Counseling Association as well as other national and international counseling associations and was honored with an extensive list of awards for his writing, professional service, and mentorship.

Before beginning his academic career, he was director of children's services at the Rockingham County (NC) Counseling Center. Before joining the Wake Forest faculty, he was a faculty member at Rockingham Community College, Fairfield University (CT) and
 the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

In 1990, he arrived at Wake Forest as professor of counseling and assistant to the president for special projects. He served as an assistant to the late President Thomas K. Hearn Jr. from 1990 to 1997.
 From 1997 to 2007, he was an associate provost at Wake Forest. Dr. Gladding played a leading role in transitioning counseling from being a program in the Department of Education to being the Department of Counseling. He chaired the department for
 many years. He was also called upon to counsel the families of victims of the 9/11 terrorist attack and the 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech during his tenure.


Dr. Gladding's enthusiasm for teaching and mentoring students in and out of the classroom was well known. He led counseling graduate students on academic visits to Wake Forest's residential study center in Vienna, Austria, accompanied students to India
 to volunteer at Mother Theresa's facilities that serve the poor and dying, and in recent years, taught at Wake Forest's program for first-year undergraduates in Copenhagen, Denmark. While much of his teaching at Wake Forest was with graduate counseling
 students, he continued to teach undergraduates regularly. He also volunteered as a faculty fellow in on-campus residence halls as well as a faculty advisor for the APO service organization.


A memorial service will be held January 29th at 2 PM in Wait Chapel on the campus of Wake Forest University. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Gladding Memorial Scholarship or the Samuel T. Gladding Endowment for the Department
 of Counseling, P.O. Box 7227, Winston-Salem, NC, 27109 or online at giving.wfu.edu.