Daniel W. Shannon

Hall of Fame Class of 1996

Dan Shannon, Dean of Continuing Studies and Summer School at the University of Chicago, has made contributions nationally and internationally to the field of adult and continuing higher education for nearly three decades. At the University of Washington he was an early leader in distance learning, using technology to create access for rural populations to valuable University resources. These initiatives paralleled his extensive work in community development in rural, Native American, and urban communities throughout the Northwest. At the University of Wisconsin he led a successful 10-year effort to construct the University Center for Continuing Education, a state-of-the-art conference facility in the heart of downtown Milwaukee, which also houses an expansive array of nationally recognized programs in University Outreach.

While these efforts testify to a career of practical accomplishments and innovative leadership, Shannon's most enduring contributions may lie in his efforts to shore up the theoretical infrastructure of continuing higher education. He explored these issues in varying national leadership roles, often in the context of his work with the University Continuing Education Association, which he served as President, and as Editor of the Continuing Higher Education Review. His professional papers and presentations have often centered on the role of the continuing educator in light of the changing nature of work and the implications and demands of an increasingly technological society.