Clark Tibbitts (1903-1985) was a

gerontologist Gerontology ( ) is the study of the social, cultural, psychological, cognitive, and biological aspects of aging. The word was coined by Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov in 1903, from the Greek , ''geron'', "old man" and , ''-logia'', "study of". Th ...

who helped bring attention to the topic of aging and establish programs for aging populations in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. He held a variety of positions within

gerontology Gerontology ( ) is the study of the social, cultural, psychological, cognitive, and biological aspects of aging. The word was coined by Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov in 1903, from the Greek , ''geron'', "old man" and , ''-logia'', "study of". The fie ...

and was an contributing author of many articles that examined aging. He has been described as "an architect of the field of gerontological education-an academic who spent most of his career in the federal government as an advocate for the development of aging education, training, and research programs in institutions of higher education."

Biography

Tibbitts was born in 1903 and died at the age of 82 in October 1985. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the

Lewis Institute Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Tracing its history to 1890, the present name was adopted upon the merger of the Armour Institute and Lewis Institute in 1940. The university has prog ...

in 1924 and did graduate work at

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...

. He retired at age 83, after 35 years of government service. He worked as deputy director of the Office of Aging 1960-66, director of training for the

Administration of Aging Administration may refer to: Management of organizations * Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal ** Administrative Assistant, traditionally known as a Secretary, or also known as an administrative officer, administ ...

1966-74, director of the National Clearinghouse on Aging 1974-76, special assistant to the Commissioner on Aging 1976-1982, both that have roots from Tibbitts' original committee on aging.

Career

Tibbitts was director of the institute for Human Adjustment at the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

for 12 years before moving to

Washington D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...

in 1949. He then served as specialist for aging, before any agencies were dedicated to the aging population. He was the author of many articles and texts on

and

aging Ageing ( BE) or aging ( AE) is the process of becoming older. The term refers mainly to humans, many other animals, and fungi, whereas for example, bacteria, perennial plants and some simple animals are potentially biologically immortal. In ...

. He was an advocate for government resources for the aging population, at a time when the average life expectancy in the

was growing rapidly with assistance from advances in medicine and technology. He examined the social and psychological aspects of aging that had not been previously studied or explored because of the low life expectancy up until the mid twentieth century.

Accomplishments

Tibbitts was notable for his efforts to plan, organize, and convene multiple international conferences on aging for more than three decades, until the 1980s. His work encompasses more than 100 publications, including his ''Handbook of Social Gerontology: Societal Aspects of Aging'', which, for a decade, was the major used textbook on aging.

Awards

* 1957 - Honorary Sc. D. degree (a doctorate of science higher than a PhD), from the

Institute of Divi Thomae An institute is an organisational body created for a certain purpose. They are often research organisations (research institutes) created to do research on specific topics, or can also be a professional body. In some countries, institutes can ...

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

. * 1981- AGHE award for his outstanding contribution to the study of

. * 1986- The Clark Tibbitts Award was established in 1986 for his contributions in the development of The

Association for Gerontology in Higher Education Association may refer to: *Club (organization), an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal *Trade association, an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry *Voluntary associatio ...

, replacing the award he won in 1981.

Selected publications

* Tibbitts, Clark (1950, October)
The conference on aging
* * Tibbitts, C. (1967, March 11).

' * *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tibbitts, Clark American gerontologists 1903 births 1985 deaths Social security in the United States Illinois Institute of Technology alumni University of Chicago alumni University of Michigan people