It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of former School of Social Work faculty member and Professor Emeritus Norm Wyers, who died from lung cancer on the morning of Tuesday, December 14. He was not just our colleague, but also a valued supporter of the school since his retirement.
Norm came to work for the PSU School of Social Work in 1974 and retired in 1996. He served as Assistant Dean from 1987 to 1988, was the first Director of the MSW program from 1991 to 1996, and was the Coordinator of the Undergraduate Degree Program from 1976 to 1982. Norm authored 15 peer reviewed publications and taught over 30 different courses at undergraduate, masters and doctoral levels. He was also responsible for bringing outstanding social policy experts to PSU including Richard Cloward, Francis Fox Piven and Michael Harrington.
Highly respected in our community, SSW students invited Norm on five separate occasions to give the commencement address at graduation ceremonies. Norm was also chosen as Social Worker of the Year in 1990 by the Oregon Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers and in 1996 he was given the George Hoffman Award for Faculty Excellence. This award was given annually to faculty members who gave distinguished service to the university in areas of instruction, service and scholarship and who did so in a spirit of humanism, civility, collegiality, dedication to students, and loyalty to Portland State University. When he received the award, the university’s statement said:
During your long career you have produced scholarship of national importance in the areas of welfare, employment, ethnic and gender issues while inspiring students to follow your example of community service to groups outside the University who are victimized by social and legal discrimination.
Active in the community as well as the school, Norm served on numerous community boards including Sisters of the Road, Phoenix Rising, Burnside Community Council, Oregon Advocacy Council, Cascade AIDS Project, Human Resources Coalition of Oregon, and Tri-County Community Council. He was responsible for organizing “Wages, Welfare or What” Town Hall Meetings in 1977 and was involved in 55 Town Hall Meetings in 35 communities across the state of Oregon followed by a statewide conference. He also provided expert testimony to both the Oregon State Legislature and the U.S House of Representatives regarding public welfare reform.
After retiring, Norm taught several more classes between 1996 and 2004 and was also employed on a part-time, short-term basis to head up the Graduate Education Department of the Child Welfare Partnership.
On the autobiography section of Norm’s website he wrote:
What have I learned along the way? I have learned that living is hard but exciting, that human relationships take time, that compromise about who we are and what gives meaning to our existence is not possible, that laughing is so basic that we forget to do it most of the time, and that love regenerates us. Hate and violence destroy the potential decency of life. I have also learned that I have the capacity to forgive others for their transgressions but that forgiving myself is next to impossible. I have always wanted to be a good boy, but good boys are not supposed to make mistakes. I have made my share of them, however.
Norm was beloved by faculty and students alike. His example of citizenship and commitment will live on in our collective memory and through our collective action. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family during this time.
If you have memories of Norm you would like to share with the school, please add them here. We will do our best to include these memories in upcoming celebrations of Norm's life and work. Donations can be made in his name to the School of Social Work Emergency Fund.