H. Stephen Glenn, Ph.D., 1941-2004, was the father of four, stepfather of three, grandfather of twelve and foster father of several.
He was internationally recognized for his work in education, mental health, training and family psychology. He spoke to thousands of parents, teachers, counselors and human service professionals and was featured speaker at the White House, where he was honored by Nancy Reagan as one of the USA's most outstanding family life and prevention professionals. He received recognition for his service to education, psychology, health promotion, self-esteem, community development and family life.
In Education: Stephen served as an adjunct Professor of Child and Family Studies at Weber State University. He did his undergraduate education at Brigham Young University and graduate work at BYU and doctoral studies at Indiana University where he acquired a Ph.D in counseling psychology. He directed the U.S. Office of Education Southeast Regional Training Center and served on board of directors for the National Action Committee for Health Education and Drug Abuse Prevention. He also served on state and national advisory boards on safe and effective schools, teacher training, discipline, and tobacco, alcohol, and drug abuse prevention and was a primary developer of the Lions/Quest International program, Skills for Adolescence, which is used worldwide.
In Health Care: He directed the National Drug Abuse center for training and resource development in Washington, D.C., was director of Clinical Programs for American Health Services, and served as a special consultant to the Senate Select Subcommittee on Narcotics. He served on many national advisory boards and task forces dealing with issues such as chemical dependency, adolescent pregnancy and parenthood, and suicide prevention. He also served on the board of directors/advisory boards of the National Association for Children of Alcoholics, the University of Utah Summer School on Alcoholism and Other Drug Dependencies, and the National Faculty for Prevention.
In the Community: He directed the U.S. Office of Education Help Communities Help Themselves Regional Training Center, developed the first Alcohol and Drug Abuse counselor certification program, and helped to develop local, state, and national partnerships in drug abuse prevention, dropout prevention, and adolescent pregnancy and parenthood. He consulted with several states on welfare reform, parole and probation, and received the Investing in People award from the Governor of Oregon for his contributions to self-sufficiency in Oregon's citizens.
In Family Life: He served as a special consultant to the United States Office of the President; the U.S. House of Representatives Select Subcommittee on Children, Youth, and Family; the National Federation of Parents for Drug-Free Youth; Lions International; and many other state, federal and international organizations. He received the Gooderham Lifetime Service Award for Alcoholism and the Family, the Whatever Would We Have Done Without YOU! Award (along with Nancy Reagan) from the National Federation of Parents, the Robert Reasoner Award for lifetime service to the Self-esteem movement and the Continental Social Interest Award from the North American Society for Adlerian Psychology.
Stephen was the author/coauthor of 7 Strategies for Developing Capable Students, Raising Self-Reliant Children in a Self-Indulgent World, Time Out: Abuses and Effective Uses, Positive Discipline in the Classroom, Positive Discipline: A-Z, and Positive Discipline for Blended Families, as well as the author of several outstanding training series, including Developing Capable People and Basic Substance Abuse Counseling.
An H. Stephen Glenn Remembrance
By Bruce Colston
Teacher, mentor, author, speaker, friend...the list is seemingly endless with all the things that Steve was to me and to many others. For his family, add father and husband. To the world at large, add humanitarian. Steve gave so much from the heart to all of us; he was generous to a fault. But then again, he had a wealth of gifts to share. Memories -- there are so many. Sailing on Heeling Spirit, sitting in the hot tub, sharing jokes and stories (some of them true!), conducting DCYP trainings, rushing to airports, sipping Dickel, and I will never forget him holding and comforting me after my wife died. These are a few of the many memories of Steve that will be with me forever. The world is a better place and I am a better person because Steve Glenn was here. I will always miss him.
Steve had a remarkable career. One of the things that make his major works, Developing Capable People and Developing Capable Young People, so unique is that they are applicable in many venues. The principles are universal in all human relationships. Steve was always way ahead of the curve. He started out in the field of chemical dependency and his early work primarily applied to youth development and parenting. Then as the DCYP program grew, people from the self-sufficiency movement and business and industry began to see its merits too. By the mid 1990s, Peter Senge in The Fifth Discipline stressed the importance of family/workplace inter-relationships. Others were calling for the need to develop capable people in the workplace. One of the projects that Steve was working on at the time of his death was "Lawyers Helping Lawyers." This group gave him three standing ovations in what proved to be his final public speaking engagement. That didn't surprise me. Steve loved public speaking and he was great at it. He was seldom happier than when he was before an audience. Steve could move listeners from laughter to tears with his stories. Anyone who heard Steve, in person or on his tapes, could see and hear his passion for his work and how much he cared about helping to enrich the lives of others. Let all who knew Steve honor his memory and life's work through living and working the principles of Developing Capable People.
* * * *
