[Reading-hall-of-fame] Fwd: Sad news-- Arthur Applebee

Thu Sep 24 02:25:26 BST 2015

Another of the sort of notifications that we in the Hall of Fame are all
too familiar with.

I had the privilege of getting to know Arthur well when he was at NCTE and
I was at UIUC.  Brilliant scholar whose contributions connected theory,
research, and practice in profound ways.

One of my all-time favorite trips was a 2+ week journey to mainland China
in 1984--Arthur, Judith,  Mary Alyce and me--on one of those China Travel
tours that was, at that time, the only way to tour China.  Our first tour
guide in Beijing nicknamed us "The Gang of Four".  Unforgettable memories

Arthur's modest demeanor, which stood in stark contrast to his unparalled
record of productivity, was well-documented and a pleasure to watch, either
in a public venue or across a table among colleagues with a glass of good
wine in hand.

One of my all time favorite literacy research colleagues and heroes.

David

*lFrom: * "Bangert-Drowns, Robert L" <rbangert-drowns at albany.edu>
*Subject: * *Sad news-- Arthur Applebee *
*Date: * September 23, 2015 1:04:16 PM EDT

Dear colleagues—

With great sadness, I must inform you that Distinguished Professor Arthur
Applebee died last Sunday, September 20, 2015.  He had been suffering over
the last year from a rapidly progressing Parkinson’s disease complicated by
Lewy Body Dementia.  As you know, Arthur served as chair of the Department
of Educational Theory and Practice for over a decade and, as you’ll *see
below in our formal announcement*, has been an extraordinarily productive,
highly regarded, and influential scholar.  He has also been a friend,
mentor, and good colleague for many of us in the School of Education, at
the University at Albany, and across the country.  Arthur, Judith Langer,
and I all arrived at UAlbany in the same year, 1987.  Arthur will be
greatly missed.  I take comfort in his exceptional record of powerful
contributions to education and literacy, his profound impact on scholars,
teachers, and children.  It has been a great honor to count him among our
faculty.

We would like to create an Arthur Applebee Memorial Fund.  For those of you
inclined to contribute, please go to*albany.edu/give
<https://securelb.imodules.com/s/1642/02-alumni/giving/index.aspx?sid=1642&gid=2&pgid=399&cid=1042>*.
At that site, you can indicate the “School of Education” when you click on
“I would like to support…”  In the “Comments” box, indicate “Applebee
Memorial Fund”.  Alternatively, you can mail a check to The University at
Albany Foundation, UAB 226, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12222.
Please note "Applebee Memorial Fund" in the memo portion of the check.

Feel free to circulate this message to others who may have known Arthur.

Best wishes—

Bob

Robert Bangert-Drowns, Ph.D.
Dean

School of Education
University at Albany
State University of New York
1400 Washington Avenue
ED 212
Albany, NY  12222

518-442-4988
518-442-4953 (fax)
RBangert-Drowns at albany.edu

*Photo by Mark Schmidt*

*The University at Albany School of Education Mourns the Loss of
Distinguished Professor Arthur N. Applebee*

Albany, NY (September 23, 2015) - University at Albany Distinguished
Professor Arthur N. Applebee, internationally renowned for his seminal
scholarship in the fields of literacy and language learning, died suddenly
on September 20, following a brief illness.  He was 69.

Until his retirement in August 2015, Dr. Applebee was a SUNY Distinguished
Professor in UAlbany’s School of Education, Chair of the School’s
Department of Educational Theory & Practice, and Director of the Center on
English Learning & Achievement. He joined the School of Education in 1987,
as part of the SUNY-wide Graduate Research Initiative, Governor Mario
Cuomo’s investment to bring some of the most esteemed and promising
scholars in the nation to the State University of New York campuses.

With degrees from Yale, Harvard, and the University of London, Applebee’s
work focused on how children and adults learn the many specialized forms of
language required for success in school, life, and work. His research
reframed the ways in which both scholars and practitioners think about
critical issues in language learning by interconnecting reading, writing,
speaking, thinking, and learning across disciplines. Since the early 1970s,
he worked as an advisor to the National Assessment of Educational Progress,
helping to design, implement, interpret, and report a continuing series of
evaluations of the educational attainment of U.S. students.

His first book *Tradition and Reform in the Teaching of English* (1974)
became a classic in its field, and the many subsequent books, National
Assessment monographs, and reports, articles, and book chapters have been
equally influential in the United States and across the world. *The Child’s
Concept of Story *(University of Chicago, 1978); *Writing in the Secondary
School* (NCTE, 1981); *How Writing Shapes Thinking* (with J. Langer, NCTE,
1987); *Literature in the Secondary School* (NCTE, 1993); and *Curriculum
as Conversation*(University of Chicago, 1996) have been particularly
influential on scholarship in his field. His most recent book (with J.
Langer) was *Writing Instruction that Works: Proven Methods for Middle and
High School Classrooms* (Teachers College Press, 2013).

Applebee advised at international, national, state, and local levels on
effective approaches to language and literacy education, and was a member
of the Validation Committee for the Common Core State Standards. Applebee
was editor of *Research in the Teaching of English* (the premier scholarly
journal in his field) for 8 years and served on the editorial board or as a
reviewer for another 18 national and international scholarly journals. He
was a past president of the National Conference on Research in Language and
Literacy and was recognized for the cumulative contribution of his work by
election to the International Reading Hall of Fame, by the David H. Russell
Award for Distinguished Research in the Teaching of English, and by his
appointment as a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association.
He was also a Fellow of the Rockefeller Foundation Study Center in
Bellagio, Italy, and he received the SUNY Chancellor’s award for Research
Excellence.

Applebee wrote 25 books and monographs, over 100 journal articles and other
publications, and is the most frequently cited author in the research
handbooks in English language arts.  He was lead author of a series of
English literature textbooks for grades 6-12 that have been widely adopted
by school districts across the United States from 1992 to present.
Applebee’s research received external funding from a variety of sources
since 1979, for a cumulative career total of over $27 million.

Applebee shared his life’s work with his wife and research partner, Judith
Langer; the pair were the first husband and wife to hold the position of
distinguished professor, the highest rank in the State University of New
York system. He is survived by Langer, two stepsons, four
step-granddaughters, and four brothers. He was a much respected and beloved
professor, colleague, collaborator, advisor, mentor, and friend for
scholars and educators on the University at Albany campus and across the
nation.

For those who wish to honor Dr. Applebee’s legacy in a special way, the
University at Albany Foundation is accepting donations to establish the
Arthur N. Applebee Memorial Fund. Contributions can be made online at
*albany.edu/give
<https://securelb.imodules.com/s/1642/02-alumni/giving/index.aspx?sid=1642&gid=2&pgid=399&cid=1042>*.
At that site, you can indicate the “School of Education” when you click on
“I would like to support…”  In the “Comments” box, indicate “Applebee
Memorial Fund”.  By mail, checks may be sent to The University at Albany
Foundation, UAB 226, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12222. Please
note "Applebee Memorial Fund" in the memo portion of the check.

-- 
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
P. David Pearson
Professor
Graduate School of Education
5645 Tolman Hall #1670
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley CA 94720-1670
GSE Office: 510 6543 6508
fax 510-642-4799
email:  ppearson at berkeley.edu
other e-mail:  pdavidpearsondean at gmail.com
website for presentations:  www.scienceandliteracy.org
website for publications:
https://bspace.berkeley.edu/portal/site/~189290/page/fc6f1431-1058-4118-80f1-9249dd68c3b6
website for photos:
http://gse.berkeley.edu/faculty/pdpearson/pictures/pdpportraits.html
*******************
Home:  851 Euclid Ave
Berkeley, CA  94708 -1305
Home #: 510 526 6986
iPhone:  510 543 6508
****************************************
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