Legacy of Lloyd Burgess Sharp (1895-1963): A Career History of a Pioneer in Outdoor Education, The

While a doctoral student at Columbia University in New York in the 1920s, Lloyd Burgess Sharp integrated the pragmatic and experiential philosophies of John Dewey and other "New Educators" into the youth camping programs with which he was involved (Hammerman, Hammerman, & Hammerman, 1994; Rillo, 1980). This intersection of New Education with outdoor learning situations resulted in a slow but continual formation of an approach to learning that came to be known as "outdoor education," a term coined by Sharp in the mid-1940s (Knapp, 2000).

The purpose of this study was to construct a career history of Sharp and to identify his leadership influence in shaping the outdoor education movement in the United States. The main research questions were: (a) What pivotal events and actions characterized L. B. Sharp's role in the formation and growth of the outdoor education movement in the United States? and (b) In what ways did Sharp's approach to leadership influence the perpetuation of outdoor education through others?

Narrative data were collected from people who were associates of Sharp during his career and triangulated with archival data. The data were then melded and organized into a chronological career history. Sharp began his career with the restructuring of Life Magazine's "Fresh Air Camps" into programs that provided positive outdoor educational experiences for inner-city youth. He also established the Outdoor Education Association and National Camp as avenues for outdoor leadership preparation and facility design consultation. He served as a faculty member at New York University, Columbia University, the Lab School at the University of Chicago, and Southern Illinois University.

Narrative data from the study were further analyzed for emergent patterns in reference to Sharp's approach to leadership that influenced the perpetuation of outdoor education through others. Multitudes of people who were National Camp participants and associates went on to become influential leaders in various arenas of experiential and outdoor education in their own right. Patterns that emerged relative to Sharp's leadership influence were: articulation and widespread dissemination of a sound philosophy and vision, living a principled life, exhibiting highly developed interpersonal skills, and facilitating meaningful experiences and traditions.

References

Hammerman, D. R., Hammerman, W. M., & Hammerman, E. L. (Eds.). (1994). Teaching in the outdoors (4th ed.). Danville, IL: Interstate.

Knapp, C. (2000). Learning from an outdoor education hero: Personal reflections about L. B. Sharp. Taproot, 12(2), 7-11.

Rillo, T. J. (1980). Contributions of Lloyd B. Sharp. In W. H. Hammerman (Ed.), Fifty years of resident outdoor education: 1930-1980 (pp. 19-28). Martinsville, IN: American Camping Association.

Julie A. Car/son, Ed.D., Educational Leadership Department, Minnesota State University, Mankato, MN 5600. E-mail: Julie.Carlson@mnsu.edu

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