EHE News
Seven to receive EHE's highest honor
The College of Education and Human Ecology honored alumni and former faculty members with induction into its Hall of Fame Friday, Nov. 2, 2007.
The distinguished inductees include three home economics faculty who are also alumni, two education alumni; and two emeritus professors and college administrators.
The 2007 Hall of Fame inductees are:
- Beatrice Cleveland
- Ruth Deacon
- Velma Everhart
- Francille Firebaugh
- Philip Schlechty
- Daryl Siedentop
- Nancy Zimpher
Cleveland
Beatrice J. Cleveland, Columbus, Ohio
B.S. '42, Home Economics Education, OSU; M.S. '57, Extension Administration, University of Wisconsin
Professor emerita, Human Ecology; associate state leader emerita, 4-H
For more than 32 years, Bea Cleveland coordinated 4-H programs for children and adults statewide, with the goal of making their best, better. In particular, she emphasized leadership training. She also is widely honored for guiding Ohio State's 4-H international exchange programs.
She is a legend for her ability to raise funds for 4-H. Since retiring in 1977, she raised more than $1.5 million, much of it through personal contacts. She also established a scholarship for high school students coming to Ohio State and contributes grants to advisor training. The Ohio State University Alumni Association has recognized her efforts with the Everett D. Reese Medal of Philanthropy, the highest honor for fund-raising volunteers.
Among her other honors is induction into the halls of fame for the Ohio State Fair, Ohio Agriculture, National 4-H, and Ohio Women.
Deacon
Ruth E. Deacon, Columbus, Ohio
B.S. '44, Home Economics Education, OSU; M.S. '48 and Ph.D. '54, Family Economics-Home Management, Cornell University
Professor emerita, Management, Housing and Equipment, OSU; dean and professor emerita, Home Economics, Iowa State University
Ruth Deacon pioneered the application of general systems theory to the social sciences, a radical approach that moved family resource management to a new level. She found her niche early in her career, when as a county Extension agent, she gained insight into teaching other women about household economics and management.
Her academic career began at Cornell University, where she taught from 1948-58. She joined the Ohio State School of Home Economics in 1958. Teamed with Francille Firebaugh, she explored and applied the systems approach to household and family processes.
In 1974, she was named head of the Department of Family Environment at Iowa State University. She served as dean of the College of Home Economics there from 1975-87, and after retiring continued to teach, publish and present.
Everhart
Velma Vizedom Everhart, Columbus, Ohio
B.S. '38, M.S. '54, Home Economics Education, OSU
Associate professor emerita, Housing and Home Furnishings, OSU
Velma Everhart has devoted herself to providing meaningful leadership to her many students. She was initiated into Phi Upsilon Omicron while an undergraduate student working her way through Ohio State, and gained wide recognition as national president-elect, then president of the honorary.
From the moment she began teaching, her students benefited from her mentoring skills. As a high school teacher, she encouraged students to enter college. (One beneficiary was fellow 2007 Hall of Fame inductee Ruth Deacon.) After she joined the Ohio State faculty in 1956, she demanded high performance, but she also taught the importance of aesthetics in everyday life.
After her 1978 retirement, she extended her mentor role by establishing a scholarship to support students in agriculture and human ecology. She continues to be an active member of the Human Ecology Alumni Society Board of Governors.
Firebaugh
Francille M. Firebaugh, Ithaca, New York
'62, Household Economics and Management, Cornell University
Professor emerita and director, School of Home Economics, OSU
From North America to Fiji, Francille Firebaugh has looked at how families manage their resources. She joined the OSU faculty in 1962, and found a research partner - fellow 2007 Hall of Fame inductee Ruth Deacon. Together, they shaped the field of family resource management.
Dr. Firebaugh served as an Ohio State administrator on multiple levels: as director of the School of Home Economics, associate dean for the College of Agriculture, and vice provost for international affairs.
In 1988 she returned to her alma mater, Cornell University, to become dean of the College of Human Ecology. She rose to vice provost for land grant affairs and special assistant to the president before she retired in 2005. She continues at Cornell as senior consultant to provost; visiting fellow, international agriculture; and dean emerita.
Schlechty
Philip C. Schlechty, Louisville, Kentucky
B.S. '60, M.A. '63, Ph.D. '67, Education, OSU
Phil Schlechty founded the Schlechty Center for Leadership in School Reform in 1988. His dream was to offer hands-on training to arm school leaders with the tools they need to buck the system from within.
He espouses systemic educational reform so an entire district become aligned and focused on creating innovative and engaging school work for students. He calls for a curriculum that is challenging but enables students to persist when they experience difficulty and gives them a sense of satisfaction. He also advocates leadership education for superintendents, principals, teachers, school boards, and parents.
He has written five books, including Creating Great Schools and Schools for the 21st Century. He was a teacher and administrator in public schools and in higher education. At the University of North Carolina, he rose to full professor and was department chair and associate dean over the course of 16 years.
Siedentop
Daryl L. Siedentop, Westerville, Ohio
P.E.D. '68, Physical Education, Indiana University
Professor emeritus, Physical Activity and Educational Services, OSU
With 10 books and 80 doctoral advisees, Daryl Siedentop has had an impact on undergraduate and graduate students, practicing teachers and teacher educators worldwide.
As a premiere scholar in sports pedagogy and physical education teacher preparation, he received the Alliance Scholar Award in 1995 from the American Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. Respect from his peers is evident in 20-some invitations to give keynote addresses in 15 countries, his election as an American Association of Kinesiology and Physical Education Fellow, and his reception of the International Olympic Committee President's Prize. He is a member of the National Association of Sport and Physical Education Hall of Fame and received the Council of Physical Education Teacher Education Award.
In addition, in 35 years at Ohio State he helped established progressive teacher education programs that influenced national reform efforts. Most recently, he developed and led the P-12 Project to strengthen the education of Ohio's children.
Zimpher
Nancy L. Zimpher, Cincinnati, Ohio
B.S. '68, English Education; M.A. '71, English literature; Ph.D. '76, Teacher Education and Administration in Higher Education, OSU
Former professor, Educational Policy and Leadership, and dean, College of Education, OSU
As a national leader in school reform, Nancy Zimpher has improved U.S. public education, especially for girls and boys in urban schools. After teaching middle school, she moved into university administration where her leadership qualities soon were evident. She led several College of Education programs, and then joined the educational policy and leadership faculty in 1984.
She became dean of the College of Education in 1993. During her tenure, she led Ohio State into leadership in the Holmes Partnership, a national teacher education reform movement. She also served as executive dean of the OSU professional colleges until she moved to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1998. In 2003, she returned to Ohio as president of the University of Cincinnati.
She is involved in more than a dozen boards, is author or editor of seven books and numerous articles, and has given countless presentations.
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