TO: UNI Faculty and Staff FROM: Thomas J. Switzer, Dean DATE: April 6, 1990
Professor Robert L. Frank, 58, of 108 Summit Drive, Cedar Falls, died Friday, March 30, 1990, at Allen Hospital, Waterloo, following complications after a heart attack. A memorial service was held at Nazareth Lutheran Church, Cedar Falls, on Monday, April 2, 1990, with burial in Fairview Cemetery, Cedar Falls. Dr. Frank is survived by his wife, Dorothy; two sons, Kent Robert of Tracy, California and Jeffery Allen of Waterloo; two grandchildren; a brother, Ronald of Lincoln, Nebraska, and a sister, Marilyn Gooding of Lincoln, Nebraska. Dr. Frank received his B. A. [1953], M. A. [1957], and Ed. D. [1964] degrees from the University of Nebraska and served in the U. S. Air Force [1953-55].
Prior to coming to Cedar Falls, he was a classroom teacher, counselor, and coach at Scottsbluff, Nebraska [l955-58] and a County Guidance Coordinator in Shelby County, Iowa [l958-59]. Dr. Frank joined the University of Northern Iowa faculty as an Assistant Professor in 1962 and was promoted to Associate Professor in 1966 and to Professor in 1970. During that time he was extensively involved in a wide range of professional guidance and counseling related organizations and associations. He held a number of state, regional, and national offices including terms as President of the Iowa Association for Counseling and Development in 1970-71, the Iowa Vocational Association in 1973, the Iowa Association for Specialists in Group Work in 1985-86 and North Central Association for Counselor Education and Supervision.
He also served on numerous boards, commissions, committees, and task forces. Dr. Frank also committed much time and energy in professional service to higher education nationally in chairing National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education [NCATE] accreditation visits to colleges and universities in Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Minnesota, Virginia, Florida, and Mississippi. More recently, in the 1980s he also chaired Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs [CACREP] accreditation visits to Georgia State University, University of Wyoming, Mankato State University, Western Illinois University, Southern Illinois University, and Northern Illinois University. In addition, he made many IACD, AACD, ACES and NC/ACES conference presentations each year. At the state level, Dr. Frank was a consultant with the Iowa Department of Education regarding a variety of research projects and programs too numerous to mention. In terms of teaching at the university level, his areas of specialization included grant writing, management systems, appraisal techniques, counseling theory, and group process and dynamics. He was a long-term member of Phi Delta Kappa, the National Education Association, and the Cedar Falls Lions Club. A memorial will be established by the family.