E. Wayne Courtney was born on April 15, 1931 in Elnora, Indiana. After graduating from high school as class valedictorian in 1949, he enrolled in Purdue University, from which he earned four degrees: B.S., Forestry, 1953; B.S., Agriculture, 1957; M.S., Agricultural Education, 1958; Ph.D., Measurement, 1962. Courtney did postdoctorate work in statistics at Oregon State University in 1968. After serving in the U.S. Army in Germany (1953-1955), Courtney was appointed assistant professor in the Stout State University (Wisconsin) School of Education in 1962. He remained at Stout State until 1972, when he became Professor and Director of Research and Development in OSU's Division of Vocational, Adult, and Community College Education. Courtney has held a number of faculty appointments at OSU. Courtney twice served in the OSU Faculty Senate, 1979-81 and 1986-88; was a member of the OSU Press Board of Governors, 1981-1984; and served on various OSU committees, including the OSU Library Expansion Faculty Advisory Committee. He received OSU's Burlington Northern Foundation Faculty Achievement Award for 1985-86 and was a Senior Collaborative Fulbright Research Scholar to Thailand in 1994-95.