Cansler, Russell N., 1909-1995

Russell Newell Cansler was born January 13, 1909 in Crofton, Kentucky. His father was a ticket agent for the L&N Railroad in nearby Hopkinsville.

Cansler received a B.A. in accounting from the College of Commerce in Bowling Green, Kentucky in 1931, a B.A. in law from Atlanta Law School in 1935, an M.B.A. from New York University in 1939, and a Ph.D. in business law and business from the University of Pittsburgh in 1950.

He was the head of the commercial departments at the Rome, Georgia High School from 1931 to 1933, the Maddox Jr. High School in Atlanta, Georgia from 1933 to 1935, and the Haverstraw, New York High School from 1935 to 1939. From 1939 to 1940, while obtaining his degree at the University of Pittsburgh, he served as a Graduate Assistant in the Department of Business Education there. Upon leaving he became the Head of Business Teacher Education at Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. He remained there for five years, becoming the Acting Head of the Business Administration Department and successively Assistant, Associate, and full Professor. During World War II Cansler was a Civilian Coordinator for both the Navy V5 Flying Program and the Army ASTP Program.

In 1945 he joined the faculty of the Northwestern University School of Commerce Secretarial Sciences Department. He served from 1945 to 1951 as Assistant Professor, and from 1951 to 1953 as Associate Professor. In the years 1951 and 1952 he was also the Director of the Evening Division of the School of Commerce. In 1953 he was named Professor of Business Administration, and held that title until 1970, when he became a Professor of Management. In 1961 he organized the School of Business Office of Placement and was the Director of that office until he retired.

Cansler published four books, two regarding financial aid for undergraduate and graduate students and two written for the A.B. Dick Company, Fundamentals of Mimeography and Fundamentals of Offset Printing . His publications also included numerous film scripts for the A.B. Dick Company and for Journal Films in Chicago. He lectured extensively throughout his career.

He retired and moved back to Hopkinsville in 1974. He died there on March 25, 1995. He was survived by his wife Lois and his four children, Judy, Ann, Jimmy and Joan.

From the guide to the Russell N. Cansler (1909-1995) Papers, 1945-1978, (Northwestern University Archives)