Graham Spanier
Encyclopedia
Graham B. Spanier is an American academic, who served as the 16th president of the Pennsylvania State University
from September 1, 1995, until he was forced to resign on November 9, 2011, in the aftermath of the Penn State child sex abuse scandal
. During his tenure as president, the campus expanded considerably, including the creation of the Schreyer Honors College
, the College of Information Sciences and Technology, and the Penn State World Campus, and merger with the Dickinson School of Law
. He continues as a tenured professor at PSU.
, Spanier grew up in the Chicago suburbs and graduated from Highland Park High School (Highland Park, Illinois)
. He was a boxer and had his nose broken in bouts with his father several times, according to close friend Michael Oriard of Oregon State University
. He earned his bachelor's and master's degree
s from Iowa State University
where he was honored with the Distinguished Achievement Citation by the ISU Alumni Association in 2004. He earned his Ph.D.
in sociology
from Northwestern University
where he was a Woodrow Wilson
Fellow.
. Spanier was also an author of a study in the Archives of Sexual Behavior concerning the practice of mate swapping, or "swinging
".
Spanier served as chancellor
of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, provost
and vice president for academic affairs at Oregon State, and vice provost for undergraduate studies at the State University of New York at Stony Brook
. He was a faculty member and administrator from 1973 to 1982 in Penn State's College of Health and Human Development.
He returned to PSU as President in 1995.
While President of Penn State, Spanier earned an annual salary of $545,016, as determined by a sub-committee of the University Board of Trustees. His compensation was ranked third among his peers at surveyed public universities nationwide., and was the fifth-highest university pay in America, a total annual package in excess of $800,000.
"Spanier spent five years trying to block the release ... by The Patriot-News
of Harrisburg [of] the salaries of Penn State’s highest-paid officials, including Paterno, from the state retirement system. ... The university lost before the pension board, the Commonwealth Court and, in 2007, the State Supreme Court."
, the Board of Directors and a founding member of the University Corporation for Advanced Internet Development
, and chair of the Kellogg Commission on the Future of State and Land-Grant Universities. Spanier has also chaired the National Security Higher Education Advisory Board
.
Jerry Sandusky
. Sandusky was charged in November 2011 with 40 counts related to alleged sexual abuse of minors. Penn State athletic director Timothy Curley
and university Senior Vice President Gary Schultz were also indicted
for perjuring
themselves and not reporting a 2002 incident in which a graduate assistant
said he witnessed Sandusky abusing a child on Penn State property.
After the charges came to light, Spanier issued a statement in which he said Curley and Schultz had his "complete confidence", and saying they "operate at the highest levels of honesty." Spanier was criticized for expressing support for Curley and Schultz, and failing to express any concern for Sandusky's alleged victims. After this, he largely dropped from public view; according to the Chronicle of Higher Education, the Board of Trustees ordered him to keep silent. He did, however, cancel head football coach Joe Paterno
's weekly press conference due to legal concerns; Paterno was a key witness in the grand jury probe.
A group of Penn State students created the Facebook page "Fire Graham Spanier", in order to call on Penn State's Board of Trustees to fire Spanier. An online petition at change.org
calling for Spanier's ouster garnered over 1,700 signatures in four days.
On November 9, 2011, the Penn State Board of Trustees announced that Spanier had resigned and head football coach Joe Paterno
had been fired, in both cases effective immediately. Earlier that day, The Express-Times
of Easton
reported that the Board of Trustees had given Spanier an ultimatum—resign before that night's meeting or be fired. Later, a member of the board told The Morning Call
of Allentown
that the board was very angry about his statement of unconditional support for Curley and Schultz. Although he is no longer president, Spanier is still a tenured professor at Penn State. Provost Rodney Erickson
was named his successor.
In the wake of the Sandusky revelations, a Phoenix private investigator named Paul McLaughlin came forward. He charged that in the early 2000s Spanier and others at Penn State had rebuffed his efforts to report his sexual abuse as an 11-year-old in the late 1970s and early 1980s by, among others, PSU education professor John T. Neisworth. McLaughlin, who had secretly taped a purported confession from Neisworth, said Spanier said "Don't bother" when McLaughlin offered to send him the tape. As it happened, McLaughlin's conversation with Spanier occurred, according to McLaughlin, in March, 2002, days before the alleged Sandusky rape. "Neisworth retired in 2002, though he continued teaching a distance-education course for a few more years," it was also reported. David Monk, a PSU education dean, said he had not been offered the tape and that “I did take the charges seriously and immediately determined that Mr. Neisworth’s Penn State duties did not involve direct contact with children.” One university official sent back a copy of the recording unopened. McLaughlin says that Neisworth paid him a "six-figure" settlement after a lawsuit, but criminal charges were not sustained due to statutes of limitations
and admissability
issues.
board. In 1997, Spanier was recognized by Al Gore
for his work on the University Corporation for Advanced Internet Development (UCAID). More recently, Spanier has become an outspoken critic of unmonitored online file sharing
, and testified before Congress in 2002 about the issue. He was the first University
president
to collaborate with music companies in an effort to halt illegal file sharing among students when Penn State signed a contract
with Napster
that provided all students access to Napster's music catalog. In 2007 he signed a contract with Ruckus Network
which provides ad-supported access to millions of songs and videos to Penn State Students. He served as co-chair of the Committee on Higher Education and the Entertainment Industry.
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
from September 1, 1995, until he was forced to resign on November 9, 2011, in the aftermath of the Penn State child sex abuse scandal
Penn State sex abuse scandal
The Penn State sex abuse scandal refers to allegations that former Pennsylvania State University football assistant coach Jerry Sandusky sexually assaulted or had inappropriate contact with at least eight underage boys on or near university property...
. During his tenure as president, the campus expanded considerably, including the creation of the Schreyer Honors College
Schreyer Honors College
The Schreyer Honors College is the honors program of the Pennsylvania State University. Founded in 1980 as the University Scholars Program, it was expanded and renamed in 1997 in response to a $30 million gift by William and Joan Schreyer...
, the College of Information Sciences and Technology, and the Penn State World Campus, and merger with the Dickinson School of Law
Dickinson School of Law
Penn State University Dickinson School of Law is the law school of The Pennsylvania State University...
. He continues as a tenured professor at PSU.
Early life and education
Born in South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Spanier grew up in the Chicago suburbs and graduated from Highland Park High School (Highland Park, Illinois)
Highland Park High School (Highland Park, Illinois)
Highland Park High School, or HPHS, is a public four-year high school located in Highland Park, Illinois, a North Shore suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Township High School District 113, which also includes Deerfield High School.Prior to the 1949–50 school year, the...
. He was a boxer and had his nose broken in bouts with his father several times, according to close friend Michael Oriard of Oregon State University
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
. He earned his bachelor's and master's degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
s from Iowa State University
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...
where he was honored with the Distinguished Achievement Citation by the ISU Alumni Association in 2004. He earned his Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
from Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
where he was a Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
Fellow.
Career
While a researcher, Spanier contributed to the publication of ten books and over 100 scholarly journal articles. As a family sociologist, demographer, and marriage and family therapist, he was the founding editor of the Journal of Family IssuesJournal of Family Issues
Journal of Family Issues is a peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes papers in the field of family studies. The journal's editor-in-chief is Constance L. Shehan...
. Spanier was also an author of a study in the Archives of Sexual Behavior concerning the practice of mate swapping, or "swinging
Swinging
Swinging or partner swapping is a non-monogamous behavior, in which both partners in a committed relationship agree, as a couple, for both partners to engage in sexual activities with other couples as a recreational or social activity...
".
Spanier served as chancellor
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, provost
Provost (education)
A provost is the senior academic administrator at many institutions of higher education in the United States, Canada and Australia, the equivalent of a pro-vice-chancellor at some institutions in the United Kingdom and Ireland....
and vice president for academic affairs at Oregon State, and vice provost for undergraduate studies at the State University of New York at Stony Brook
State University of New York at Stony Brook
The State University of New York at Stony Brook, also known as Stony Brook University, is a public research university located in Stony Brook, New York, on the North Shore of Long Island, about east of Manhattan....
. He was a faculty member and administrator from 1973 to 1982 in Penn State's College of Health and Human Development.
He returned to PSU as President in 1995.
While President of Penn State, Spanier earned an annual salary of $545,016, as determined by a sub-committee of the University Board of Trustees. His compensation was ranked third among his peers at surveyed public universities nationwide., and was the fifth-highest university pay in America, a total annual package in excess of $800,000.
"Spanier spent five years trying to block the release ... by The Patriot-News
The Patriot-News
The Patriot-News is the largest daily newspaper serving the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania metropolitan area. In 2005, the newspaper was ranked in the top 100 in daily/Sunday circulation in the United States...
of Harrisburg [of] the salaries of Penn State’s highest-paid officials, including Paterno, from the state retirement system. ... The university lost before the pension board, the Commonwealth Court and, in 2007, the State Supreme Court."
Board memberships
He has served on national boards such as the Board of Directors of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges, deputy chair of the Worldwide Universities NetworkWorldwide Universities Network
The Worldwide Universities Network is an invitation-only group of research-led universities that have agreed to carry out research and research training on a collaborative basis...
, the Board of Directors and a founding member of the University Corporation for Advanced Internet Development
Internet2
Internet2 is an advanced not-for-profit US networking consortium led by members from the research and education communities, industry, and government....
, and chair of the Kellogg Commission on the Future of State and Land-Grant Universities. Spanier has also chaired the National Security Higher Education Advisory Board
National Security Higher Education Advisory Board
The National Security Higher Education Advisory Board was created by American Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Robert S. Mueller III on 15 December, 2005...
.
Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal
In 2011, Spanier was criticized for his initial reaction to a sex abuse case involving former Penn State football defensive coordinatorDefensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
Jerry Sandusky
Jerry Sandusky
Gerald Arthur "Jerry" Sandusky is a retired American football coach. Sandusky served as an assistant coach for his entire career, mostly at Pennsylvania State University under Joe Paterno, and was one of the most notable major college football coaches never to have held a head coaching position. ...
. Sandusky was charged in November 2011 with 40 counts related to alleged sexual abuse of minors. Penn State athletic director Timothy Curley
Timothy Curley
Timothy Curley is the athletic director for Penn State University, currently suspended from his position after being indicted for perjury related to the Penn State sex abuse scandal.-Career:...
and university Senior Vice President Gary Schultz were also indicted
Indictment
An indictment , in the common-law legal system, is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that maintain the concept of felonies, the serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that lack the concept of felonies often use that of an indictable offence—an...
for perjuring
Perjury
Perjury, also known as forswearing, is the willful act of swearing a false oath or affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to a judicial proceeding. That is, the witness falsely promises to tell the truth about matters which affect the outcome of the...
themselves and not reporting a 2002 incident in which a graduate assistant
Graduate assistant
A graduate assistant is a position who serves in a support role at a university, usually while completing post-graduate education. The individual typically assists professors or with instructional responsibilities as teaching assistants, coaches with an athletic team, or university department...
said he witnessed Sandusky abusing a child on Penn State property.
After the charges came to light, Spanier issued a statement in which he said Curley and Schultz had his "complete confidence", and saying they "operate at the highest levels of honesty." Spanier was criticized for expressing support for Curley and Schultz, and failing to express any concern for Sandusky's alleged victims. After this, he largely dropped from public view; according to the Chronicle of Higher Education, the Board of Trustees ordered him to keep silent. He did, however, cancel head football coach Joe Paterno
Joe Paterno
Joseph Vincent "Joe" Paterno is a former college football coach who was the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions for 46 years from 1966 through 2011. Paterno, nicknamed "JoePa," holds the record for the most victories by an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision football coach with...
's weekly press conference due to legal concerns; Paterno was a key witness in the grand jury probe.
A group of Penn State students created the Facebook page "Fire Graham Spanier", in order to call on Penn State's Board of Trustees to fire Spanier. An online petition at change.org
Change.org
Change.org is an online platform for social change launched on February 7, 2007 by current CEO Ben Rattray and Mark Dimas, and certified as a B Corporation in January, 2011. Its stated mission is to "empower anyone, anywhere to start, join, and win campaigns for social change."...
calling for Spanier's ouster garnered over 1,700 signatures in four days.
On November 9, 2011, the Penn State Board of Trustees announced that Spanier had resigned and head football coach Joe Paterno
Joe Paterno
Joseph Vincent "Joe" Paterno is a former college football coach who was the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions for 46 years from 1966 through 2011. Paterno, nicknamed "JoePa," holds the record for the most victories by an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision football coach with...
had been fired, in both cases effective immediately. Earlier that day, The Express-Times
The Express-Times
The Express-Times is a daily newspaper published in Easton, Pennsylvania, with an emphasis on local news. It has won awards in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania.-Ownership:...
of Easton
Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton is a city in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 26,800 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Northampton County....
reported that the Board of Trustees had given Spanier an ultimatum—resign before that night's meeting or be fired. Later, a member of the board told The Morning Call
The Morning Call
The Morning Call is a daily newspaper based in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The newspaper is owned by the Tribune Company, whose other publications include the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times and Baltimore Sun....
of Allentown
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
that the board was very angry about his statement of unconditional support for Curley and Schultz. Although he is no longer president, Spanier is still a tenured professor at Penn State. Provost Rodney Erickson
Rodney Erickson
Rodney A. Erickson, Ph.D. is the president of Pennsylvania State University. Formerly executive vice president and provost , he was named interim president of Penn State on November 9, 2011 after previous president Graham Spanier was forced to resign in the wake of the Penn State sex abuse scandal...
was named his successor.
In the wake of the Sandusky revelations, a Phoenix private investigator named Paul McLaughlin came forward. He charged that in the early 2000s Spanier and others at Penn State had rebuffed his efforts to report his sexual abuse as an 11-year-old in the late 1970s and early 1980s by, among others, PSU education professor John T. Neisworth. McLaughlin, who had secretly taped a purported confession from Neisworth, said Spanier said "Don't bother" when McLaughlin offered to send him the tape. As it happened, McLaughlin's conversation with Spanier occurred, according to McLaughlin, in March, 2002, days before the alleged Sandusky rape. "Neisworth retired in 2002, though he continued teaching a distance-education course for a few more years," it was also reported. David Monk, a PSU education dean, said he had not been offered the tape and that “I did take the charges seriously and immediately determined that Mr. Neisworth’s Penn State duties did not involve direct contact with children.” One university official sent back a copy of the recording unopened. McLaughlin says that Neisworth paid him a "six-figure" settlement after a lawsuit, but criminal charges were not sustained due to statutes of limitations
Statute of limitations
A statute of limitations is an enactment in a common law legal system that sets the maximum time after an event that legal proceedings based on that event may be initiated...
and admissability
Admissible evidence
Admissible evidence, in a court of law, is any testimonial, documentary, or tangible evidence that may be introduced to a factfinder—usually a judge or jury—in order to establish or to bolster a point put forth by a party to the proceeding...
issues.
Internet and copyright issues
Spanier has an expressed interest in internet technology: he was a founding member of the Internet2Internet2
Internet2 is an advanced not-for-profit US networking consortium led by members from the research and education communities, industry, and government....
board. In 1997, Spanier was recognized by Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
for his work on the University Corporation for Advanced Internet Development (UCAID). More recently, Spanier has become an outspoken critic of unmonitored online file sharing
File sharing
File sharing is the practice of distributing or providing access to digitally stored information, such as computer programs, multimedia , documents, or electronic books. It may be implemented through a variety of ways...
, and testified before Congress in 2002 about the issue. He was the first University
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
president
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
to collaborate with music companies in an effort to halt illegal file sharing among students when Penn State signed a contract
Contract
A contract is an agreement entered into by two parties or more with the intention of creating a legal obligation, which may have elements in writing. Contracts can be made orally. The remedy for breach of contract can be "damages" or compensation of money. In equity, the remedy can be specific...
with Napster
Napster
Napster is an online music store and a Best Buy company. It was originally founded as a pioneering peer-to-peer file sharing Internet service that emphasized sharing audio files that were typically digitally encoded music as MP3 format files...
that provided all students access to Napster's music catalog. In 2007 he signed a contract with Ruckus Network
Ruckus Network
Ruckus was a free ad-supported online music service available to students at all American colleges.The service was founded in 2003 by Vincent Han and David Galper; raised $41.5M from Battery Ventures, Shelter Capital, and others; was acquired in 2008 by Total Music, a joint venture between Sony and...
which provides ad-supported access to millions of songs and videos to Penn State Students. He served as co-chair of the Committee on Higher Education and the Entertainment Industry.