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Dr.
Robert Kirk
Class of 1992
Background:
Robert H. Kirk was born May 5, 1931, in Hamtramck, Michigan,
USA, the son of Henry and Georgia Kirk. He attended elementary
school in Hamtramck and secondary school in Nashville, Tennessee.
During his high school senior year, he was captain of the
football team, class president, and class valedictorian. He
was the first of his maternal and paternal families to attend
and graduate from a college or university. Dr. Kirk received
his bachelor of science degree in health and physical education
from Fisk University in 1953. He earned four graduate degrees
from Indiana University -- the master of science in health
and safety (1957), director of physical education (1958),
director of health and safety (1959), and doctor of health
and safety (1960). He has done post doctoral study at Michigan
State University (1967) and at the Stanford University Graduate
School of Business Executive Program in the summers of 1987
and 1988.
Professional
Experience:
Dr. Kirk had a wealth of professional experience lasting four
decades. He worked as a high school teacher, coach, athletic
director, university professor, department head, dormitory
director, researcher, and consultant. The academic institutions
at which he was employed include Fisk University, Grambling
State University, Alabama State University, Southern Illinois
University, Southern University, Knoxville College, and the
University of Tennessee at Knoxville. In addition to full-time
academic experiences, Dr. Kirk worked for or served as a consultant
to General Electric's Mississippi Test Facility, the Tennessee
Department of Education, the Tennessee Emergency Management
Agency, Southwestern Education Laboratory, the Appalachia
Education Laboratory, the National Cancer Institute, and the
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
Career
Highlights:
Dr. Kirk served in many capacities for the National Safety
Council over three decades. Chief among the offices and responsibilities
are: vice president for Programs and Planning; vice president
for Research; program chair, School and College Division;
chair, Howard Pyle Fellowship Committee; and one of the Council's
representatives to the White House Conference on Children
and Youth. He served as president and member of the Board
of Directors of the American School and Community Safety Association
and the American Academy of Safety Education. Also, he served
two terms as a member of the Board of Directors of the Association
for the Advancement of Health Education. Dr. Kirk served as
director, Health and Safety Curriculum Guide Project, State
of Tennessee; director, National Dairy Council's Tennessee
Health Education Project; and contractor for health and safety
research and development for the Tennessee Department of Education.
Dr. Kirk received most of the top health and safety awards
given by the major national health and safety associations.
In 1985, he received the Distinguished Service to Safety Award
of the National Safety Council. That same year, he received
the Scholar Award from the American School and Community Safety
Association. At the state level, Dr. Kirk received four major
health and safety appreciation awards from former Governor
Lamar Alexander of Tennessee and was cited in a resolution
by the Tennessee House of Representatives for his work in
safety. Dr. Kirk was greatly involved in business, civic,
and social affairs for several decades. In later years he
served on many local and state agency boards, such as the
Boy Scouts of America and the Girl Scouts of America. He served
as a commissioner of the Knoxville Utilities Board for 14
years, five years as chairman of the board. In addition to
his civic and social activities, he operated a few small businesses.
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