Louis Persinger (who taught Yehudi Menuhin, Isaac Stern, and other eminent violinists), when I studied with him. He had two priceless violins in that case -- a Stradivarius, preferred for heart-melting melodies; and a Guarnerius, preferred for the brillliant stuff.

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General Qualifications, page 1

Because I detest the braggadocio of the academic world, what follows is abbreviated.

I lament my late start in higher education, but my unconventional beginning may have helped me avoid some funnel vision that afflicts my areas of study.

Bored with school after finishing grade ten with a flawless record, I dropped out for more than six years, using that time to earn my LRSM (Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music, London) as a violinist, to study briefly with Louis Persinger of Julliard, to become a violin performer and teacher, and to serve church youth in several ways. Then wanting to resume academic work, I crammed in solitude for fourteen weeks and passed British Columbia’s university entrance examination. I swapped fiddle solos, orchestral work, and musical arrangements for board, room, and tuition while earning a B.A. at Bob Jones University (BJU).  Encountering a solid, demanding academic program there, I realized how misleading lack of accreditation can be when a university refuses (often for good reasons) to seek it.  BJU’s fine arts program inspired me to the best musical performances of my life. I attribute much of my success as a writer to the understanding of English  grammar and composition that I developed at BJU.  After only three years at BJU I scored at the 94^th percentile on the Graduate Record Examination and gained admission to graduate studies at the University of Chicago. 

My education did not stop there, for I learned much while a professor, especially at the University of Chicago, and since retiring from teaching and realizing the narrowness that preparation for it often imposes, I have read and thought more broadly than before. 

My university appointments have been:

1962-63:  Assistant professor, Florida State University

1963-74:  Assistant professor, rising to professor and  director of Midwest Administration Center, University of Chicago

1974-77:  Professor, Simon Fraser University

1977-81:  Professor and director of Center for Research on Private Education, University of San Francisco

1981-92:  Professor, UCLA     

1993-    :   Professor Emeritus,  UCLA

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Copyright © 2004 Donald Erickson

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