History
ELPS Doctoral Students from Left to Right:
Michael Benitez, Vijay Kanagala, Philip Vasquez,
and Jose Cabrales.
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The actual roots of the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (formerly Department of Professional Studies in Education) began in 1919 when the Department of Vocational Education was split from the Departmentof Agriculture Education. Guy M. Wilson served as Department Chair for both departments until 1924. In 1924, W. Lancelot was appointed Head of Vocational Education and Agriculture Education. They were then combined into a new division called the Division of Vocational Education, where all of the graduate programs in Education were housed. Barton Morgan was named the Division Head in 1936, and Ray Bryan was named Head in 1950.
Doctoral work began in the late 30s and blossomed in the early 1960s. Much of the work in the early 1960s was done by Ray Bryan and Virgil Lagomarcino. The first Ph.D. in education was given in 1941, with fewer than eight awarded each year until 1965. The College of Education was formed in 1968, with Virgil Lagomarcino serving as Dean (until he retired in 1990). The organization of the college took place through a five-year transition period starting in September of 1968. No departments existed until 1973, but four administrative units were created: (1) secondary education, (2) elementary education, (3) professional studies in education and (4) industrial education. These four areas became departments in 1973. Ray Bryan was the first chair of the Department of Professional Studies in Education until he retired in 1975.
In July 2005, the College of Education was joined with the College of Family and Consumer Sciences to create the new College of Human Sciences (CHS). The first dean of the CHS assumed another deanship in 2008. Presently, there is an Interim Dean of the CHS, Pamela White, and a search for a new Dean is currently underway. During the past 10 years, ELPS has had two Chairs. John Schuh served as Chair from 1998-2005. Laura I. Rendon began her tenure as Chair in 2005, and presently serves as Chair. In 2008 ELPS approved a new mantra: Redefining Leadership. Making a Difference.
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