Leadership Lessons: Pathways to Progress featuring Carl Cohn

Lecture 1: The Early Years - Laying the Groundwork for Leadership

Reception: 5:00-5:30pm

Lecture: 5:30-6:30pm

Carl Cohn’s mother, a victim of domestic violence, raised six children by herself following her husband’s attempt to kill her when Carl was two years old. Growing up in a household defined by poverty and a devout Catholic faith led to him becoming both an altar boy and paper boy—two experiences that helped to profoundly influence the course of his early life and his decision to begin studying to be a priest at an early age.

The course of his life was dramatically influenced by the prep seminary, and a remarkable “band of brothers” who met as 13 year-olds in the fall of 1959. Many from that group, which includes a major university president, an assistant director of the FBI, an award-winning university professor and numerous other leaders in law, business and public service, have stayed friends for more six decades. Unfortunately, that group of idealistic young men, who first met in 1959, also included a notorious priest-molester of school children.

This first lecture will close with a description of life in the seminary college, Carl becoming student body president, and the extraordinary events of 1968 that led to his decision to leave the seminary and begin a career in public education.

About Carl Cohn:

Carl A. Cohn is professor emeritus at Claremont Graduate University. For the past seven years, he has served the state of California as a state board member and, more recently, as executive director of the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence. Previously, he was superintendent of schools in both the Long Beach and San Diego school systems, as well as the Federal Court monitor for the Los Angeles school system. His tenure in Long Beach culminated with his winning the McGraw Prize in 2002, and the district winning the Broad Prize in 2003.

Dr. Cohn currently serves on the following boards: the Spencer Foundation, CTA’s Institute for Teaching, the Center for Assessment, the Alder Graduate School of Education, Teaching Works at the University of Michigan, St. Mary’s Academy, the Education Standing Committee of the California Catholic Conference, and the National Center for Learning Disabilities.

In addition to his work in K-12 education, he has prepared future educational leaders at Pittsburgh, USC, Harvard, GW and Claremont.

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Parking is available in the garage below the Marvin Center. The entrance to the garage is located on H Street, NW, between 21st and 22nd Streets, NW.

Not able to attend? Tune in on February 12 at 5:30pm to watch Dr. Cohn via Facebook Live at www.facebook.com/GSEHD.