[Asis-l] UT iSchool Mourns Professor E. Glenn Harmon

[Sam Burns]

AUSTIN, Texas — With great sadness we report the death of Dr. Glynn
Harmon (1933-2013), long-serving professor at The University of Texas at
Austin School of Information, who died quietly at his home on Sunday,
February 17, aged 79 years. Dr. Harmon held multiple degrees including a
Bachelors of Arts, Political Science, and Masters of Arts, Public
Administration from the University of California, Berkeley. He also held
Masters of Science and Ph.D., Information Science, both from Case
Western Reserve University. Later, he earned a Masters of Business
Administration from Southwest Texas State University.

Following his first appointment and four years teaching as Assistant
Professor of Library and Information Science at the University of
Denver, Dr. Harmon enjoyed a 43-year career as a professor at the
University of Texas. Beginning with his 1970 appointment as Associate
Professor and continuing with promotion to Professor five years later,
he served as acting dean in 1990, as well as interim dean for the school
from 1997 to 1999. Much loved by generations of students, Glynn received
both the Texas Excellence in Teaching Award and the Excellence in
Advising Award, served as Graduate Advisor, and over his career chaired
more than a dozen doctoral student committees, with his graduates now
holding leadership positions across the globe. In 2004 he was recognized
with a Top Advisor Award at UT.

Dr. Harmon's research centered on fundamental questions of the nature of
information and human reasoning, with specific applications of
information science to medical informatics, information economics,
intelligent systems, and education. He was the author of multiple papers
and reports but is perhaps best known for his two books: Human Memory
and Knowledge and The Development of Information Systems in Real Estate.
"Glynn was a pioneer," said iSchool Dean Andrew Dillon. "He envisioned a
scientific discipline of information before the first iSchool was ever
imagined and deserves to be recognized as a founding father of the
field. He was also a true gentleman and friend who will be missed by
generations of graduates and colleagues, many of whom he continued to
assist, long after they had left Texas."

Glynn lived a rich and varied life. As a young man, he learned to fly
and served as a naval aviator, an education officer, a Russian
interpreter, and a communications administrator for the U.S. Navy. He
was deployed in 1962 as one of only eight Russian interpreters during
the naval blockade of Cuba. His memoirs of this time recount very rough
seas, the dangers of Russian submarines, and the constant worry of
impending danger from a possible US invasion of Cuba. He was also a
long-serving member of the Academy of Oriental Medicine of Austin's
Board of Governors. The many honors Glynn received over his lifetime
included a national solo flight record of ten aircraft on his 16th
birthday, Naval Air Training Command top flight student award, and Beta
Phi Mu and Phi Kappa Phi awards.

Dr. Harmon was a beloved husband and teacher. His loving wife, Kitty,
survives him. He will be missed by his family, friends, and the many
students whose lives he touched. In lieu of flowers, the family requests
memorial donations to the Austin Humane Society.

Please share any memories or comments at:
http://blogs.ischool.utexas.edu/egh/