Hiemstra, Roger

Howard Yale McClusky (1900-1982) was a prolific and influential scholar of adult education. Born in Whitesboro, New York, he attended Park College in Parkville, Missouri and earned a PhD from the University of Chicago. He was a member of the School of Education faculty at the University of Michigan for 60 years, where he established the Graduate Program in Adult Community Education and was the administrator of the University's educational gerontology program.

McClusky was generous with his ideas and enthusiasm: in addition to his courses at the University of Michigan he was a visiting professor at ten universities, served on more than a hundred doctoral committees, published in more than fifty different journals and periodicals, served in an advisory capacity to dozens of organizations, and gave more than 430 presentations in 30 states and three countries. He helped found the Adult Education Association (serving as its first president) and the Commission of Professors of Adult Education, and was chief consultant to the W.K. Kellogg and C.S. Mott Foundations' efforts in the community council, community school, and citizen's council movements. Over the course of his career he made substantial contributions to many fields including mental health, public health, community education, community development, psychology, youth work, educational psychology, gerontology, and educational gerontology.

McClusky received numerous accolades over his career, including the Delbert Clark Adult Education Award (1956), University of Michigan Faculty's Distinguished Achievement Award (1958), Michigan Legislature Concurrent Resolution of Tribute (1969), Board of Regents' Citation (1975), Adult Education Association's Pioneer Award (1975), and State of Michigan Legislature's Award for Special Service. In 2002 he was inducted into the International Adult Education Hall of Fame. The McClusky Symposium, which continues McClusky's research exploration, is held annually at the National Adult Education Conference.

From the guide to the Howard McClusky Collection, 1929-1990, (Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries)