David A. Berry (born ) is an American educator and administrator, known for co-founding and leading the

Community College Humanities Association The Community College Humanities Association (CCHA) is a formal, non-profit association of faculty members from the nation's community colleges. The organization seeks to advocate for the humanities in the nation's two year colleges; although, it d ...

. For his efforts to strengthen the

humanities Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture. In the Renaissance, the term contrasted with divinity and referred to what is now called classics, the main area of secular study in universities at the t ...

curricula in community colleges across the United States, he was awarded the

National Humanities Medal The National Humanities Medal is an American award that annually recognizes several individuals, groups, or institutions for work that has "deepened the nation's understanding of the humanities, broadened our citizens' engagement with the human ...

in 1997.

Early life and education

David A. Berry was born in

Asheville, North Carolina Asheville ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Buncombe County, North Carolina. Located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the state's 11th-most populous cit ...

. A year later, his parents moved to Roseland, New Jersey, where he was raised. Berry graduated from West Essex Regional High School. He then attended the

University of Rochester The University of Rochester (U of R, UR, or U of Rochester) is a private research university in Rochester, New York. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The University of Roc ...

, where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1967. In 1969, he earned a master's degree from the

University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from Hart ...

. Afterward, he completed coursework in a PhD program at

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...

without taking a degree.

Career

Berry began his career as a high school teacher in

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...

, remaining in that position for one year. He declined offers to join the faculty at the

University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and la ...

and a college in

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

in order to join the faculty at the newly opened

Essex County College Essex County College (ECC) is a public community college in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. History In August 1966, the Essex County Board of Freeholders approved the creation of Essex County College and in September 1968, more than a ...

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.adjunct professor An adjunct professor is a type of academic appointment in higher education who does not work at the establishment full-time. The terms of this appointment and the job security of the tenure vary in different parts of the world, however the genera ...

at New York University. Berry helped to create the Community College Humanities Association, a national nonprofit association that was founded in 1979. Its purpose is to promote a curriculum in the humanities at two-year colleges. Berry became the organization's executive director in 1989. He has also chaired the organization's board of directors. In his leadership role, he was instrumental in promoting the humanities at community colleges, including through numerous projects funded by the

National Endowment for the Humanities The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is an independent federal agency of the U.S. government, established by thNational Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965(), dedicated to supporting research, education, preserv ...

, for which he served as the project director or co-director. Among these initiatives was "Advancing the Humanities at Community Colleges: An NEH Bridging Cultures Project", which provided funding for two-year colleges to develop courses in the humanities. In 1995, he testified before the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...

about the value of the National Endowment for the Humanities. He has also directed projects funded by the Ford Foundation and the Funds for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education. In 1997, Berry was awarded the National Humanities Medal, which he received from President Bill Clinton in a ceremony at the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...

. In his remarks, President Clinton noted that Berry had "broadened the horizons and expanded the dreams" of students across the country. Berry has been a member of, or held committee roles in, the

Organization of American Historians The Organization of American Historians (OAH), formerly known as the Mississippi Valley Historical Association, is the largest professional society dedicated to the teaching and study of American history. OAH's members in the U.S. and abroad inc ...

, the

American Historical Association The American Historical Association (AHA) is the oldest professional association of historians in the United States and the largest such organization in the world. Founded in 1884, the AHA works to protect academic freedom, develop professional s ...

, the American Association of Community Colleges, and the

Modern Language Association The Modern Language Association of America, often referred to as the Modern Language Association (MLA), is widely considered the principal professional association in the United States for scholars of language and literature. The MLA aims to "st ...

. He has published articles in '' Women's Studies Quarterly'', the ''Community College Humanities Review'', and elsewhere. He has also served on the Alumni Advisory Committee for the University of Rochester's history department.

Honors

* National Humanities Medal (1997) * Presidential Medallion for Teaching and Service, Essex County College (2002) In addition, the Community College Humanities Association presents an annual David A. Berry National Humanities Educator Award.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Berry, David A. 1945 births National Humanities Medal recipients University of Rochester alumni University of Connecticut alumni American humanities academics Living people