David Tyack

This article is about the historian. For the British Army officer, see David Tyacke. For the German musician, see Dave Tyack.

David Tyack
Born(1930-11-17)November 17, 1930
Beverly, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedOctober 27, 2016(2016-10-27) (aged 85)
Palo Alto, California, U.S.
Alma materHarvard University
OccupationHistorian of education

David B. Tyack (November 17, 1930 – October 27, 2016) was the Vida Jacks Professor of Education and Professor of History, Emeritus at the Stanford Graduate School of Education.[1][2] Tyack is known for his wide-ranging studies and interpretations of the history of American education.

Tyack took his undergraduate degree in 1952 and his PhD in 1958, both at Harvard University. His dissertation under Bernard Bailyn dealt with "Gentleman of letters: a study of George Ticknor". Tyack taught at Reed College from 1959 to 1966, the University of Illinois from 1967 to 1969, and since 1969 at Stanford University. He received awards from the American Council of Learned Societies, and the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences. Tyack served as president of the History of Education Society, 1970 to 1971.[3]

Tyack examined late 19th century reform movements in New York City, Philadelphia, St. Louis, San Francisco and Chicago. He concluded that, "What the structural reformers wanted to do, then, was to replace a rather mechanical form of public bureaucracy, which was permeated with 'illegitimate' lay influence, with a streamlined 'professional' bureaucracy in which lay control was carefully filtered through a corporate school board."[4]

Tyack died on October 27, 2016, in Palo Alto from complications of Parkinson's disease.[5]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference bio was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Ohles, Frederik; Ohles, Shirley G.; Ohles, Shirley M.; Ramsay, John G. (February 25, 1997). Biographical Dictionary of Modern American Educators. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 319. ISBN 978-0-313-29133-3 – via Internet Archive. Tyack, David 1930.
  3. ^ Jaques Cattell Press, ed. Directory of American Scholars: History (Bowker, 1978) p 699.
  4. ^ David B. Tyack, The one best system: A history of American urban education. (1974) p 168.
  5. ^ Schena, Susan C. (October 28, 2016). "Stanford Education Historian David Tyack Dies At 85". patch.com. Retrieved October 29, 2016.