Charles Howard Carlson, Ed.D.

Charles Howard Carlson, Ed.D., age 94, of Bloomsburg, passed away on Wednesday March 15, 2023 at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville.

Born on November 5, 1928 in Kingsburg, CA, he was the son of the late Gustav A. and Sigrid (Johanson) Carlson. He resided in Bloomsburg since 1959.

Dr. Carlson was a 1946 graduate of Kingsburg High School and received his B.A. degree in music education from San Jose State University in 1951. He earned his M.A. and his Ed.D. degrees from Teachers College, Columbia University in New York City in 1953 and 1959, respectively.

Dr. Carlson joined the faculty of Bloomsburg State College in 1959 as an Assistant Professor of music. He was elevated to full professorship in 1962. During his association with the Music Department he served as department chairperson and director of the Maroon and Gold Band and Studio Band.

Carlson was named Acting Director of Graduate Studies in June 1967 and Director in September 1968.  He was appointed Dean, School of Graduate Studies and Director of Research in 1970.  During the 1972-73 academic year he served as Interim President of Bloomsburg State College.  After a year of sabbatical leave, he returned to his position of Dean of Graduate Studies in 1974.

While on sabbatical leave, Dr. Carlson served as a senior research consultant for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities in Washington, D.C., a consultant for the Academic Collective Bargaining Association in Washington, a visiting research scholar at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, and as a member of the negotiating team for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the collective bargaining agreement between APSCUF and the state. In 1982 Carlson was named Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs and occasionally served as Acting Provost.  He remained in that role until his retirement on December 31, 1991.

Carlson was president of the Pennsylvania State College and University Graduate Deans Association in 1978-79.  He was appointed to an eight-member task force by the Commissioner of Higher Education in 1979-80 to study issues relating to higher education in the state. He was actively involved in other areas of higher education as well, and was on accreditation teams in Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.

His numerous publications include articles on music and music education, studies for the Academic Collective Bargaining Association and AASCU and articles on several on the annual reading conferences at Bloomsburg University.

Before joining the faculty at Bloomsburg State College, Carlson served for two years (1951-53) with the United States Army in Japan and Korea and was Director of Music at the elementary and secondary levels in Fort Jones and Sutter, California.

Dr. Carlson was a Trustee and Deacon of the First Presbyterian Church of Bloomsburg from 1976 to 1979. He was a member of the board of the Columbia-Montour Boy Scout Executive Council, serving as president in 1972. In June, 1983 he received the Silver Beaver award in recognition of his service. He served on the executive board of the Columbia County United Way from 1979 to 1986. He was a board member and former chairman of the Friends of the Bloomsburg University Library Association and from 2004-2010 was a board member and chairperson of the Human Resources Committee for the Bloomsburg University Foundation. He was also a board member of the Husky Research Corporation from 2004 to 2020 and from 2012 to 2020 served as a member of the advisory council of the Bloomsburg University Department of Nursing. He was also a regional director for the Hugh O’Brien Youth Foundation, Los Angeles, CA

Dr. Carlson was a member of Bloomsburg Elks Lodge #436.  He served on the Bloomsburg Municipal Airport Advisory Board from 2004 to 2018 and was a member of the Parlor City Flying Club.  He held Single/Multi engine land, Commercial, and I.F.R licenses and was a certified flight instructor.

He is survived by his son, Charles Howard Carlson, Jr., of Treasure Island, FL. 

Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, March 22, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. in the Dean W. Kriner Inc. Funeral Home & Cremation Service, 325 Market St., Bloomsburg, with Eileen Chapman officiating. Visitation will be from 5:00-7:00 p.m.

Memorials may be sent to AGAPE, 851 Railroad St., Bloomsburg, PA 17815; or to the Kingsburg Historical Society, 2321 Sierra St., Kingsburg, CA 93631.