Morris "Moe" Stein (1921-2006)
Members
of the Creative Education Foundation and researchers and practitioners
of creativity the world over mourn the loss of Morris I Stein who was
buried in his beloved New York City on May 8, 2006. Moe was a respected
researcher whose work exemplified rigor in method and clarity in design
and purpose. He designed, developed and tested psychometric instruments
such as the Thematic Apperception Test and the Stein Technical
Audit. He was the author of numerous books and articles, including
the seminal two-volume work Stimulating Creativity, Volume :1 Individual
Procedures (1974): and Stimulating Creativity, Volume 2: Group
Procedures (1975). He developed the Global Correspondents
series of publications with Winslow Press featuring up to date reports
on the state of creativity from practitioners around the world. His teaching
and research work spanned over fifty years in major institutions across
the US. After studying under Henry Murray at Harvard, he taught at Wheaton
College (1947-48), the University of Chicago (1948-60) and finally at
New York University from which he retired in 1991.
"Gladly would he learn, and gladly teach."
Moe was, indeed, a Renaissance man, well rounded in his work and life. His wit and humor were well known to all. He loved to laugh and knew the importance of humor in making a serious point. When discussing the importance of data with colleagues and students, one of his favorite lines was: "In God we trust. Everyone else has to have data."
Moe was also well known and well loved for his devotion to students and to the teaching of creativity. He was an Alex F. Osborn Visiting Professor at the International Center for Studies in Creativity at Buffalo State College, and taught courses in the Center's Master's program. He was a Trustee of the Charity, The Creativity Centre Educational Trust, in the UK. He acted as external advisor at the Centre, and following the death of Paul Torrance, was the Charity's sole Honorary Member. He was an invited lecturer at many international conferences and institutions and delivered the E. Paul Torrance Lecture to students and colleagues in Athens Georgia in the mid 1990's. He established and led the Research Homebase at the Creative Problem Solving Institute (CPSI) in the early 90's where he guided the thinking of many CPSI participants who were working on doctorates at varying institutions. He welcomed students into his home and always took time to listen and guide them on research issues in practical ways.
He was beloved by the creativity community and was the recipient of every major award the Creative Education Foundation bestows: Colleague, Service and commitment Award (1991)CEF Lifetime Achievement Award (1995), and in 2005 he was inducted into the CPSI Hall of Fame. In accepting the latter, he noted that the people CPSI were like a family to him, and his service in return as a member of our community was clear.
Moe will be missed and remembered for all these things-as a scholar, a teacher, and a genuinely warm and funny man whose credo, like that of Chaucer's clerk/scholar in the Canterbury Tales, was "Gladly would he learn, and gladly teach."
The NYU Psychology Department has placed an obituary notice for Moe Stein that will appear in the New York Times obituary section on Sunday, May 28, 2006.
NYU have also requested that it be in the on-line edition of the NY Times where folks can sign in and contribute to the guestbook. It will remain on-line for one year and archived indefinitely.
In addition, his name will be read at the first University Senate meeting in the fall and will appear in the Spring 2007 NYU Psychology Alumni magazine.
The life and works of Moe will be celebrated at the Creative Problem Solving Institute (June 25-30 in Chicago). There will be a tribute during the leaders dinner on Tuesday night. Tara Coste is assembling a Power Point montage of photos, quotes, tributes, and other images. If you have an electronic image or words that might be appropriate, send it to her at: tgcoste@adelphia.net
Also at the Institute, on Monday night there will be a memorial sharing of thoughts, experiences, and memories.
You can review and add to the tributes that have already come in for Moe from all over the globe by visiting: http://www.cocreativity.com/moe/
