James Cleary
2nd President of California State University, Northridge
In office
October 21, 1969 – 1992
Preceded byRalph Prator
Succeeded byBlenda Wilson
Personal details
Born
James William Cleary

(1927-04-16)April 16, 1927
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
DiedApril 28, 2007(2007-04-28) (aged 80)
Boise, Idaho
SpouseMary
Children3
Alma materMarquette University (BA, MA)
University of Wisconsin–Madison (PhD)
ProfessionCollege administrator

James William Cleary (born April 16, 1927 – April 28, 2007) was an American university administrator and editor. He was the co-editor of multiple editions of Robert's Rules of Order and served as the second president of California State University, Northridge from 1969 to 1992.[1]

Academic career

Born April 16, 1927, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin,[2] Cleary received his bachelor's and master's degrees from Marquette University and his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.[2][1] He taught speech at the University of Wisconsin and later rose to the administrative ranks, ending his tenure at Wisconsin as the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.[3] Cleary became President of California State University, Northridge (CSUN) in 1969 and served until his retirement in 1992.[2]

Impact

Cleary served at San Fernando Valley State College during a time of great unrest.[2] Immediately before Cleary arrived on campus in 1969, the presidential suite had been destroyed by an arsonist,[4] and the acting president along with his staff had been held against their will by protesters in the administration building amid racial turmoil.[5] Early in Cleary's tenure as president, a case was brought against twenty-one students, "the first mass prosecution of student protesters on felony charges and the first attempt at conspiracy convictions."[6] Cleary brought campus disciplinary charges (including expulsion) against all of the students after many of them were convicted in Los Angeles County Superior Court on a variety of felonies, including kidnapping, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, and false imprisonment.[6] Roy Wilkins of the NAACP wrote a personal letter to Cleary protesting the campus disciplinary actions, given that almost all of the accused students were African American.[6] Toward the end of his time at CSUN in 1991, Cleary followed the lead of the CSUN Faculty Senate and rejected a proposed campus regulation that would have prohibited discriminatory speech against gays and ethnic minorities, despite advocacy of the measure by student leaders and the campus affirmative action coordinator.[7]

In 1991, after anti-gay flyers were found on the campus, Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley wrote Cleary a letter condemning gay intolerance at CSUN: "Bigotry and hatred clearly have no place in any community, especially a college campus."[8] Cleary also condemned the message of the flyers, but expressed dismay that Bradley made the letter public before Cleary received it.[9]

Cleary encouraged campus interaction with Chinese universities in the early 1980s.[10] The newly appointed Chinese ambassador to the United States, Han Xu, gave his first speech in the United States at CSUN.[11]

Cleary oversaw the transition from San Fernando Valley State College to California State University, Northridge in 1972.[2] He also brought the university to NCAA Division I status in 1990,[12] and raised funding to build dozens of buildings on campus.[2] CSUN became known for its prominent deaf studies program, which was another Cleary legacy.[10] Cleary weathered student and faculty protests,[13] scandals,[14][15] and budget crises[16] to last 23 years at CSUN. In 1986 he was chosen by the Exxon Education Foundation as "one of the 100 most effective college presidents in the nation."[1] At the time of his retirement in 1992, Cleary had grown the university to 30,000 students and had increased the number of degree programs by 50 percent.[1]

Personal life

Cleary was married to Mary Cleary until her death in 2002.[17] They had three children together. Cleary died on April 28, 2007, in Boise, Idaho.[2]

Publications

Cleary published several books during his career.

  • A bibliography of parliamentary procedure (Lehigh University Press, 1962)
  • Rhetoric and public address : a bibliography ; 1947-1961 (University of Wisconsin Press, 1964)
  • John Bulwer's Chirologia: The natural language of the hand, and Chironomia: or, The art of manual rhetoric (Southern Illinois University Press, 1974)
  • Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised (Scott, Foresman, 1970)

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Coca, Rick (May 1, 2007). "Key CSUN Leader; Cleary Guided College's Transformation". Daily News of Los Angeles. pg. N6.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Stassel, Stephanie (May 1, 2007). "James Cleary, 80; CSUN president guided school through an era of massive change". Los Angeles Times. B10. Retrieved November 12, 2017.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  3. ↑ Greenwood, Leonard (May 7, 1969). "Vice Chancellor of Wisconsin U. Will Head Valley State". Los Angeles Times. pg. C1.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  4. ↑ Goldman, Abigail (September 21, 1998). "CSUN at 40; From the Office of the President". Los Angeles Times. pg. 5.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  5. ↑ Kumbula, John; Greenwood, Leonard (November 10, 1968). "Anatomy of a Takeover: Valley State Turmoil---Who, What, Why". Los Angeles Times. pg. B1.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  6. 1 2 3 "Valley State Students Face New Troubles". Sun Reporter (San Francisco). pg. 10. December 13, 1969.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  7. ↑ Barker, Mayerene (May 17, 1991). "Cal State Faculty Senate Rejects Speech Limits". Los Angeles Times. pg. B1.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  8. ↑ "Bradley 'Sickened' by CSUN Gay-Bashing Flyer". Los Angeles Sentinel. pg. 1. October 30, 1991.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  9. ↑ Watson, Carol (October 23, 1991). "Bradley Says He's Sickened by Flyers on Gay Bashing". Los Angeles Times. pg. VYB3.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  10. 1 2 Stewart, Jocelyn (May 13, 1992). "Cleary Receives Praise, Accolades for Bringing Prestige to CSUN". Los Angeles Times. pg. 3.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  11. ↑ Smith, Doug (October 9, 1985). "China's policy of 'to each according to his work' is a socialist principle". Los Angeles Times. pg. SF_A1.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  12. ↑ "The Move to Division I: A Chronology". Los Angeles Times. pg. 8. August 22, 1990.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  13. ↑ Pyle, Amy (April 19, 1990). "40 Protest CSUN Leader's Refusal to Ban ROTC". Los Angeles Times. pg. VYB3.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  14. ↑ "Scandal casts doubts on Northridge black-studies program". Orange County Register. pg. B11. June 4, 1988.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  15. ↑ "More Extensive Probe of CSUN Sex Complaint Ordered". Los Angeles Times. pg. 8. September 30, 1988.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  16. ↑ Stewart, Jocelyn (June 15, 1992). "CSUN Forced to Re-Evaluate Its Mission in Face of Cuts Education". Los Angeles Times. pg. 3.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  17. ↑ Andres, Holly (May 3, 2002). "Mary Cleary: CSUN Ex-First Lady". Los Angeles Daily News. pg. N6.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
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