Ronald E. LaNeve

Ronald E. LaNeve was inducted into the inaugural College of Applied Human Sciences Hall of Fame in the fall of 2025. He was previously inducted into the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences Hall of Fame in 1996.

A standout athlete from Wells High School in Newell, W.Va., LaNeve was a two-time all-state basketball player and helped lead his team to a state championship in 1952. At West Virginia University, he played basketball and baseball, lettering four years as a shortstop while also starting as a guard for the Mountaineers under coaches Quentin Barnette and Fred Schaus. He earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from WVU in 1956, followed by a degree in physical therapy from the University of Pittsburgh in 1957 and a master’s degree in public health in 1971.

LaNeve began his career as a staff therapist in Pittsburgh and soon after began a 25-year military career in the U.S. Public Health Service. His service included Chief of Physical Therapy at the Pentagon, and he also worked at Walter Reed Army Hospital, rotating through multiple units. He returned to WVU as a staff therapist at the Medical Center in 1964 and lectured at several institutions on federal health programs over the next two decades.

Later in his career, LaNeve served as Administrator of the Elkins Regional Convalescent Center and the Randolph-Elkins Health Department, retiring in 2012 after 52 years of public service. He was active in community and professional organizations, including the Elkins Rotary Club, where he served as president and district governor, and the Regional Health Advisory Council. He was named Distinguished Administrator of the Year by the West Virginia Health Care Association and served as president of the WVU Emeritus Club and a member of the College’s Visiting Committee.