Occupational Education Forum:
The First 25 Years

Jerome T. Kapes
Texas A&M University

Curtis R. Finch
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Frederick G. Welch
Pennsylvania State University

Introduction

Over the past 25 years, the Occupational Education Forum (OEF) has evolved from a fledgling journal to a refereed publication that is highly regarded both nationally and internationally. Such an evolution would never have occurred, were it not for hundreds of persons that made significant contributions to the OEF’s growth. This article serves to document the evolution of the OEF from its beginning to the present. Included are descriptions of an opportunity that was recognized, the hard work that carried the OEF through some difficult times, and the result of that hard work. Also included are several comments about the journal’s future. We are hopeful that this description of the OEF’s odyssey will heighten awareness of the contributions so many people have made to the journal’s growth and why additional hard work is important to the OEF’s future.

A Humble Beginning

The OEF began publication in the Spring of 1971 under the sponsorship of Alpha Chapter of Iota Lambda Sigma (ILS) the Professional Industrial Education Fraternity. Its intended purpose was to “start a new communication link for professionals in the practical arts, vocational, and technical education.” Central to the new journal’s vision was that it would function without the intervention and control that so often exists with association- and publisher- sponsored journals. Such a journal had the potential to serve as a “forum” for the discussion of issues that are important to the field.

During the OEF’s inaugural year, Jerome T. Kapes served as president of Alpha Chapter with Curtis R. Finch, a past president of Alpha Chapter and assistant professor at Penn State serving as the first editor. S. R. Wiensteiner who at that time was Dean of Applied Arts and Sciences at Williamsport Area Community College was Associate Editor. The first editorial board was composed of Ivan G. McGee, Director of Clearfield Area Vocational Technical School; Ronald L. Koble, assistant professor at Penn State; and William D. Starr, an industrial arts instructor at Quakertown High School. The inaugural issue of the OEF contained five articles that were based on presentations made at the Pennsylvania Industrial Education Fall Conference which was held on the Penn State campus. Several of the articles in the first issue included “Career Development Education: K Through Post-Secondary” by Gene Bottoms, and “Trends in Industrial Education” by Robert M. Worthington. At the time their articles were prepared , Bottoms was Associate State Director of Vocational Education in Georgia and Worthington was Assistant Commissioner of Education for Vocational Education in New Jersey. Bottoms later went on to become the AVA Executive Director and Worthington was an Associate Commissioner for Vocational Education in the U.S. Office of Education. The topic addressed by Bottoms to a great degree described what was later termed the Career Education movement. Many similarities can be seen between this article and Sidney Marland’s early description of what he saw as Career Education.

During the Journal’s early years, all editors and editorial board members were also members of Alpha Chapter, Iota Lambda Sigma. They also typically had one or more degrees from Penn State and had moved into leadership positions both inside and outside of Pennsylvania. Beginning in 1983 this policy was changed so that only 50 percent of the editorial board needed to be Alpha Chapter members or Penn State graduates. A listing of all editors and their terms of office is provided in Table 1.

From the OEF’s beginning, editors searched for emerging concepts and issues that would be of interest to practitioners and scholars in the field and thus be included in the journal. It has been gratifying to look back and note that many of the articles published in the OEF contained important ideas that have had an impact on the profession. Also, it is rewarding to see that many authors of OEF articles have gone on to greater achievements in their professional careers. In the next section, information about board members and a sampling of authors and topics covered over the years are provided. It should be noted that although the journal’s time span covered is 27 years, the current volume is number 25 because there were years along the way when volumes were not published.

Table 1

Occupational Education Forum: Volume, Date of Publication, and Editors

Over the Years

Volume 2 of the OEF included four articles, one of which was written by John Shemick, who was at the time associate professor and Chair of the Industrial Arts faculty at Penn State. His article titled “Occupational development: An Integral Part of Panama’s Plan” reported his experiences as part of a USAID project to evaluate the Panamanian educational system. Jerome Kapes was added to the editorial board at this time having just completed his term as President of Alpha Chapter of ILS.

The third volume, published in the Spring of 1973, was highlighted by an article by Sidney P. Marland who was then Assistant Secretary for Education in the U. S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. In his article Marland summarized his views concerning the Career Education movement which he helped to launch with his address “Career Education Now” delivered to the National Association of Secondary School Principals conference in Houston, Texas in January of 1971. It was indeed and honor for the OEF to publish and article by Marland at the height of the Career Education movement. David Pucel, University of Minnesota, also contributed an article to this issue describing Project Mini-SCORE which was establishing a large data base on graduates of vocational programs in Minnesota.

The OEF did not publish an issue in 1974, as it was intended as an occasional journal with no specific publication schedule or resources to cover the cost of publication. The forth issue was published in the Spring of 1995 with a greatly expanded editorial board of 12 members, new co-editors (Kapes & Welch) and seven articles. Among them were articles by Richard Olson entitled “Career Education: Postsecondary Concerns,” and Ronald W. Stadt entitled “Relevance, Centrality, and Innovation in Postsecondary Vocational Technical Education”. Olson was an assistant professor of Vocational Technical Education at the State University College at Buffalo, and Stadt was professor and Chairman of the Department of Occupational Education at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale at the time. The editorial board included William Alexander, Trenton state College; Daniel Clark, Altoona AVTS; Edward Cory, Northern Michigan University; Theodore Dixie; Alabama A&M University; Curtis Finch, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech); John Glenn; State Technical Institute at Memphis; Richard Olson; State University College at Buffalo; Patrick O’Reilly, Northern Arizona University; John Shemick, Penn State; Norman W. Sievert, Purdue University; Robert Strickler, Lampeter-Strasburg School District; and Sam Wiersteiner, Indiana University at South Bend. All 1975 board members had been affiliated with vocational or industrial education at Penn State, most as graduates, and were members of Iota Lambda Sigma fraternity.

The same board continued for the 1976 volume, with the addition of Paul McQuay, who was Director of Engineering and Design Technology at the Williamsport Area Community College, assuming the role of Publication Manager with responsibility for getting the OEF printed at his college. That issue included articles on “Special Needs Programs: How to Increase Their Effectiveness Through Better Training of Teachers and Coordinators” by Norman Seivert and Jerry Wircenski, and “Competency-Based Education for Teachers” by Curtis Finch and James Hamilton.

The Spring 1977 issue included three new replacement board members; Thomas Enderlein, U.S. Department of Education; Nancy Gilgannon, Bloomsburg State College; and Randall Martin, Southern Illinois University, all Penn State alumni. Six articles were published with the lead article by Dewey Adams and Samuel Morgan (Virginia Tech) focusing on “The Local Director of Vocational Education.”

Joseph Ford, Chairman of the Division of Industrial Education and Technology, Norfolk State University, and Merrill Meehan, University of Pittsburgh, joined the board during 1978. Several of the six articles published included “The Pennsylvania Vocational Education Personal Development System” by Kenneth Swatt, Pennsylvania Department of Education and “Perceptions of Role Conflict, Aspirations, and Advancement Possibilities of Proprietary School Women Faculty and Their Administrators” by Thomas Long of the Penn State faculty.

The Fall 1979 issue brought a change in editors (Garner & Welch). New board members included Eugenio Basualdo, SUNY College of Technology at Utica/Rome; Thomas Cooke, Purdue University; Edgar Farmer, Temple University, Charles Simcox, Southern Illinois University; Kirby Yung, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff; and Jerome Kapes (past co-editor), Texas A&M University. Curtis Finch, Virginia Tech, served as Special Issue Editor for this issue on “Competency-Based Administrator Education”. Authors included Finch, Glenn Baker of Texas A&M, Robert Norton, Ohio State, Melvin Miller of the University of Tennessee, and several others. This was the infamous yellow and white scrambled eggs issue described later in more detail.

Donald Evans, Penn State; Richard Holodick, Assistant Superintendent, Oklahoma City Schools; and Chester Wichowski, Rutgers University were the new board members for the Fall 1980 issue. A record 10 articles were published on a variety of subjects. Among the authors were David Passmore and Frederick Welch of Penn State; Richard Adamsky, Temple University; Dominic Mohamed, Florida International; and Glenn Baker and Katy Greenwood of Texas A&M.

Ellen Carlos, AVA; Howard Markle, Southern Illinois University; and Beverly Richards, University of Iowa were new board members for the Fall 1981 issue. Robert Newman, Assistant Superintendent of Ocean City, NJ Vocational Technical Schools served as the Publications Manager. Nine articles were published on a variety of subjects with authors including Larry Kenneke and Warren Suzuki, Oregon State University; Marion Asche, Virginia Tech; Curtis Bradley, Florida International University; and Tim Wentling, University of Illinois.

As of 1982, the OEF began publishing two issues for each volume and Jerry Wircenski, then a Penn State faculty member, joined William Garner, of Rutgers University as co-editor. The size of the OEF changed to 8.5 by 11 inches and Larry Thornton, Rutgers University, was the only new editorial board member that year. Authors publishing in the 1982 volume included William Wolansky, Iowa State University; Penny Burge, Virginia Tech; and Nelson Foell, North Carolina State University. Topics of some of the articles included “Current Considerations in Teaching Word Processing for Adults” and “Sex Role Attitudes of Virginia Home Economics Teachers”.

The editorial board added four new members in 1983: Billy Gooch, Southern Illinois University; Ta-Wei Lee, National Taiwan Normal University; Richard Sullivan, Central State University (Oklahoma); and Edward Whyte, HRB-Singer, Inc. Authors included Gary Ward, Nuclear Training, Pennsylvania Power and Light; Paul McQuay, Delaware County Community College; and Curtis Finch, Virginia Tech. Included among the article titles were “Industrial Training in Japan,” and “Vocational Teacher Certification: A Call for Change.”

The OEF continued under the same editors and board until the Spring issue of 1985 when Edgar Farmer of North Carolina State assumed the editorship. The board remained unchanged through the two issues of volume 14, but with volume 15 (Fall 85/Spring 86) Frank Tien-Jin Chang, President of National Yuen-Lin Institute of Technology; Cathleen Love, New Mexico University; Robert McGough; World Bank; and Thrisha Shiver, Dade County Public Schools (Florida) joined the board. Gonzalo Garcia, Texas A&M; Gary Geroy, Penn State; and Mary Thompson, Auburn University were new board members for volume 16, and the board remained unchanged for volume 17. Some of the authors during the four year period of Farmer’s editorship included Jack Jennings, Counsel for Education, U. S. House of Representatives; Rupert Evans, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois; Edwin Herr, Penn State; William Bennett, Secretary of Education, U. S. Department of Education; Jerome Moss, University of Minnesota; James Greenan, Purdue University; and Jerome Kapes, Texas A&M. Topics included “How the New Vocational Education Act was Forged in Washington,” “Is There Life After Retirement,” “The Ends of Education: The Views of Jefferson and Franklin,” “From Jefferson to the Job,” “Vocational Education as an Innovation in the Republic of China,” and “Early Detection Signals of Unmotivated Students.” During this time period, pictures of the authors were included with their articles. Book reviews authored by Curtis Finch were included in “The Occupational Educator’s Bookshelf.”

Kurt Eschenmann at Virginia Tech began his editorship with the Spring 1989 issue and continued through the Spring 1992 issue. Although no new board members were added during the first year of Eschenmann’s editorship, Marie Kraska, Auburn University; Yvonne Gentzler, University of Maryland; Gene Roth, Northern Illinois University; Connie Baggett, Penn State; and Donald Thomas, Penn State joined the board during his term. Several of the many authors over this four year period included David Passmore, Penn State; Gary McLean, University of Minnesota; Edward Mann, University of Tennessee; James Hoerner, Virginia Tech; Richard Lakes, University of Connecticut; Patrick O’Reilly, Virginia Tech; and Frederick Welch, Penn State. Topics of some of the articles included “The Occupational Supply Structure,” “Is the Way You Teach the Way You Learn?,” “Integration of Cooperative Education into Home Economics Education,” “Implementing Reform in Vocational Teacher Education,” “The Other Basic Skill: Learning to Learn,” “Tech Prep and Educational Reform,” and “Demystifying Apprenticeships.”

Mary Thompson, Volusia County Schools (Florida) and Gonzalo Garcia, Texas A&M university became co-editors beginning with volume 21. During the next three years, two volumes with four issues were published. New members of the editorial board during this period included Keith Lauderbach, Millersville University; Patricia Lynch, Texas A&M, Susan Olson, University of Akron; Jim Wise, HRB-Singer; and Steve Yuen, University of Southern Mississippi. Authors during this period included Nancy Hartley, Colorado State University; Don Seaman, printing of the journal in a New Jersey correctional institution. Because the paper for printing was being provided either free or at a low cost, the editors were asked if it was possible to have some printing done on white paper and some on yellow paper. Not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, the offer was accepted. When the finished product arrived, it was discovered that each copy included randomly distributed white and yellow pages which it was said looked like scrambled eggs.

During the early years, the size of the OEF varied between 6 by 9 and 5.5 by 7.5 inches, depending on where it was printed. Later issues (Spring 1985 to Spring 1992) were 8.5 by 11 inches to utilize a standard sheet of paper and text. In the Fall of 1992 the size reverted to 5.5 by 8.5 again to take advantage of local printing options. In the Spring of 1996, under Managing Editor Mary Kisner, the current 6 by 9 inch format was established. With at least 68 pages, the flat spine binding makes it possible to print the name and volume number on the back. The color of the first issue was red, the second buff colored, and the third was green. Subsequent issues were light tan, salmon, light blue, light green, and various shades of off white. Under the editorship of Edgar Farmer, who was at North Carolina State at the time, the 8.5 by 11 inch cover had a white background with red and black diagonal stripes and the name and volume printed across the face. The current color, a Penn State blue, has been used since the Spring 1996 issue.

Journal Funding

Beginning in 1985, when the Journal moved to North Carolina State under the editorship of Edgar Farmer, a commitment was made to publish two issues per volume and to begin charging $10.00 per year for a personal subscription and $15.00 a year for institution and library subscriptions. To help underwrite the cost of the journal, the OEF Fund was established through the Penn State Foundation with the hope of endowing the Journal at such a level that publication could continue with subscription rates kept low. Beginning in 1988, the editorial board established the additional position of Trustee. The primary purpose of this position is to oversee the OEF Fund and provide advice and other support to the editor and board as requested. Jerome Kapes and Frederick Welch were the first two persons selected to fill the roles of trustees. Curtis Finch, who was the first editor of the OEF had been serving for many years as chair of the editorial board, moved to a trustee position in 1993. More recently, Edgar Farmer and Frank Tien-Jin Chang, who had both served many years on the board with Farmer holding the board chair position, were also elected trustees. Arnold included Kenneth Carl, Kenneth L. Cornwell, Clair Fitz, Peter Gilbert, James Hoffman, E. L. Koth, W. D. Musser, Edwin Rumpf, George Schaffer, William Steiner, and Ralph Wenrich.

Funding for the journal stalled in 1988, when once again, financial support for higher education was extremely difficult and resources were limited. With the encouragement of Scott Warrington, Frederick Welch assumed responsibility for the OEF Fund with the goal of taking it from an approximate balance of $10,000 to the $50,000 needed for a permanent endowment. From 1988 to December 1996, Welch, through a personal correspondence campaign to Penn State graduates, received an additional $35,000 either pledged or committed to the fund. The OEF was extremely fortunate in having a number of Penn State graduates who had returned to Taiwan, Republic of China, and become quite successful. Each returning graduate (approximately 22), pledged at least $ 1,000, and many gave above and beyond that amount. Welch retired on January 7, 1996, after 26 plus years of service to Penn State, with 24 of those years were spent in leadership roles. At the request of the board at the 1994 AVA convention and annual OEF meeting, Welch agreed to continue to work on the financial progress of the OEF Fund as a trustee, at least until it reached the $50,000 mark.

In the early 1990’s, the board and trustees established contributor categories to honor those who contributed to the OEF Fund. These categories are: Sponsor ($1,000-$2,500); Partner ($500-$1,000); Perpetual Subscriber ($250-$500); and Friend (up to $250). To date, a total of 67 individuals or couples have made contributions, 32 of which are at least Perpetual Subscribers. At this level of contribution, the donor receives a lifetime subscription to the OEF. For those who have not reached this category, yearly subscriptions are available at $20 per year. A listing of contributors in all categories is included in the back of this issue of the journal. Information about subscribing to the journal and submitting manuscripts is also included.

The Past is Prologue

From it’s meager beginnings to acceptance as a highly regarded publication, the OEF has at times struggled to remain solvent and to maintain a quality journal that is of benefit to both practitioners and scholars. Even though the opportunity to create and build a journal has been a great challenge and the work has been hard, contributions made by hundreds of people have spelled the difference between success and failure. On the OEF’s 25th anniversary it is thus fitting to look toward the journal’s future. A key question related to this future is: what must be done to insure the OEF will celebrate a 50th anniversary? Several comments related to this important question follow.

With this issue, the OEF officially changes its name to the Workforce Education Forum (WEF). The WEF will continue to serve as a forum for professionals. However, the journal’s scope will be broadening to encompass education for work that occurs both in secondary and postsecondary institutions and in the workplace. It is anticipated that the journal’s expanded coverage will tap into a broader readership base and stimulate meaningful dialog among people involved in all aspects of workforce education.

A second comment related to the journal’s future centers on a continuing financial commitment. Although contributions to the OEF Fund have enabled the journal to establish a more solid financial footing and increase its impact on the field, much more is needed. Over the 25 volumes and 39 issues published, the OEF has touched the professional lives of 68 individuals who served as editors or board members. In addition, over 300 people have either authored or co-authored articles. For many, the OEF represented early attempts to advance the field through publication as an author or serving as an editorial board member. Many of these people have likewise seen the OEF contribute to their own achievement of tenure and/or promotion at the university level. It is hoped that professionals who have benefited from their relationship with the journal consider showing their appreciation of how the OEF has helped them by becoming perpetual subscribers. In this way, momentum generated over the past quarter century can be continued so new and developing professionals in the field will also have opportunities to publish in the journal and serve on the journal board.

Jerome T. Kapes is a Professor of Educational Psychology and Distinguished Research Fellow at Texas A&M University.

Curtis R. Finch is a Professor of Vocational and Technical Education and Site Director, National Center for Research in Vocational Education at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Frederick G. Welch is a Professor Emeritus of Workforce Education and Development at the Pennsylvania State University.