Frank W. Jessup

Hall of Fame Class of 1999

Frank W. Jessup's leadership of the lifelong learning activities at the University of Oxford, England, for more than a quarter of a century brought the already distinguished record of that university in the field of adult education to new prominence. He made significant contributions to all aspects of adult and continuing education in the United Kingdom including his several publications, his professional leadership, his remarkable administrative expertise, and his role as a powerful advocate for the cause of adult education.

Under his leadership at Oxford, beginning in 1952, the Department for External Studies was formed, which evolved into the Department for Continuing Education, the Rewley House Residential Center for Continuing Education, the first W.K. Kellogg Center for Continuing Education outside the United States and ultimately, Kellogg College, Oxford, was established from these programmatic foundations.

Because of Frank Jessup's pioneering efforts, the benefits of higher education are more broadly available to adult learners at Oxford which continues to provide worldwide intellectual leadership in this field.