Kenneth Doane; Founding Dean of CSUF’s School of Education

Kenneth Doane, the founding dean of Cal State Fullerton’s School of Education, has died of complications from diabetes. He was 83.

“Ken was a tireless advocate for the university and, particularly, the contributions of our faculty,” President Milton A. Gordon said in a news release. “Long after his retirement, he was a campus regular . . . always eager to help his younger colleagues.”

Ashley Bishop, who coordinates the school’s teacher reading program, said Doane was a mentor to nearly everyone on campus in the field of education.

Doane’s academic interest went beyond his specialty of statistical analysis. “My area is reading; it’s not his area. Yet when I’d publish a paper or do a presentation or had written a text, he would have read it and want to discuss it in detail,” Bishop said. “He was just involved in education.”

Doane, who died Friday, grew up in Wisconsin and received his bachelor’s degree in math and science from Wisconsin State University, La Crosse, and his master’s and doctorate degrees in education from the University of Wisconsin.

Doane had been head of the education department at Hamlin University in St. Paul, Minn., before he came to Fullerton in 1960 as chairman of the division of education and psychology, later becoming the first dean of the School of Education. When Doane arrived, the university, known as Orange County State College, was only 2 years old and in its first year at its current site.

He spearheaded the early education programs at Cal State Fullerton. After its start with five graduates in elementary education, the campus became the main provider of teacher training in Orange County.

Doane was named director of the university’s Office of Institutional Research seven years later, performing internal research, but continued to teach educational research and evaluation.

Although he retired in 1980, Doane remained active at the university, especially with the Emeriti, a group of retired faculty members. When Cal State Fullerton began increasing its efforts to solicit private funds in 1993, Doane organized a team of 38 retired professors who visited 69 campus departments to raise money internally.

“He was a key part of the university, and he never left us,” said spokeswoman Paula Selleck.

James W. Cusick was a student of Doane’s at Montana State University in the late 1940s and followed him to Hamlin and Cal State Fullerton, where he retired as a professor of education.

“He was my support system, my mentor,” Cusick said. “He was an extremely energetic man, very much dedicated to helping others.”

Doane’s wife of 50 years, Eunice, died in 1997. Sons Kendall and Bradley survive him. A memorial service will be held April 26 at Morningside Presbyterian Church in Fullerton.