Keeping the Dream Alive: The Back Story

Health Behavior Research Volume 4 Number 2 Special Issue Article 11 April 2021 Keeping the Dream Alive: The Back Story Elbert D. Glover Retired, Follow this and additional works at: https://newprairiepress.org/hbr Part of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License Recommended Citation Glover, Elbert D. (2021) "Keeping the Dream Alive: The Back Story," Health Behavior Research: Vol. 4: No. 2. https://doi.org/10.4148/2572-1836.1116 This Commentary is brought to you for free and open access by New Prairie Press. It has been accepted for inclusion in Health Behavior Research by an authorized administrator of New Prairie Press. For more information, please contact . Keeping the Dream Alive: The Back Story Abstract The purpose of the manuscript was to share the unfamiliar back story of the founding of The Academy. Noted is the unique dilemma and unforeseen obstacles the founder had to overcome to launch The Academy. The dream began with the recognition that most universities waged enormous lip service to quality teaching, however, handsomely rewarded research rarely teaching. Consequently, to overcome his own research limitations, the founder set upon forming a research organization to coalesce with researchers. Detailed is the negative feedback received from colleagues regarding forming The Academy and how he overcame his personal research limitations. The manuscript further notes how the initial founders were recruited, how gender criticism was dealt with, how the bylaws were established, how the meeting venues were selected and how The Academy narrowly missed being a conceivable casualty of 9/ 11. Similarly, thoughts are offered for keeping The Academy dream alive via the paramount Academy feature; meritocracy. Moreover, further comments are offered regarding Academy admission requirements, prevailing awards within The Academy, the short-lived official journal of The Academy and the limitation of membership. The overall tone is the recognition that organizations grow and change; however, the founder emboldens The Academy to always keep in mind the founding principles that make The Academy unique and distinct from other health organizations. Keywords AAHB history, Academy dreams, research, Academy recommendations This commentary is available in Health Behavior Research: https://newprairiepress.org/hbr/vol4/iss2/11 Glover: Keeping the Dream Alive Keeping the Dream Alive: The Back Story The purpose of the manuscript was to share the unfamiliar back story of the founding of The Academy. Noted is the unique dilemma and unforeseen obstacles the founder had to overcome to launch The Academy. The dream began with the recognition that most universities waged enormous lip service to quality teaching, however, handsomely rewarded research rarely teaching. Consequently, to overcome his own research limitations, the founder set upon forming a research organization to coalesce with researchers. Detailed is the negative feedback received from colleagues regarding forming The Academy and how he overcame his personal research limitations. The manuscript further notes how the initial founders were recruited, how gender criticism was dealt with, how the bylaws were established, how the meeting venues were selected and how The Academy narrowly missed being a conceivable casualty of 9/11. Similarly, thoughts are offered for keeping The Academy dream alive via the paramount Academy feature; meritocracy. Moreover, further comments are offered regarding Academy admission requirements, prevailing awards within The Academy, the short-lived official journal of The Academy and the limitation of membership. The overall tone is the recognition that organizations grow and change; however, the founder emboldens The Academy to always keep in mind the founding principles that make The Academy unique and distinct from other health organizations. Keywords: AAHB history, Academy dreams, research, Academy recommendations Published by New Prairie Press, 2021 1 Health Behavior Research, Vol. 4, No. 2 [2021], Art. 11 Keeping the Dream Alive: The Back Story Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world. Harriet Tubman A swift glimpse in the rear-view mirror, allows me to gradually reflect upon my academic career as it slowly dips below the horizon. Twilight appears to be consuming my achievements as father time is swiftly unpacking and dismembering my grants, publications, presentations and research, all soon to be forgotten. Colleagues will quickly disregard my existence which is painful as a small portion of me cannot help but die. Conversely, life is transitory, nonetheless, am personally elevated by the one accomplishment that should endure in perpetuity, an unimaginable professional accomplishment; the founding of the American Academy of Health Behavior (The Academy) (McDermott & Glover, 2010; Laflin & Black, 2003). Never in my wildest uneventful youthful dreams could I have envisioned that one day that my early arrogant recalcitrant childhood behavior to never walk in anyone’s shadow would result in the founding of a national research organization; the very thought would have been preposterous. Nonetheless, implausible dreams do happen! I have discovered that the impossible is not possible till someone achieves it, thereafter, it is deemed obviously possible. Today, The Academy is slowly seeping into the academic ground water and now the loftier dream is that one day all health behavior researchers will consume The Academy water. The loftier dream is that The Academy blooms to become the organization that all quality health behavior researchers regardless of discipline turn to for their personal growth. One who walks in another’s tracks leaves no footprints. Italian Proverb https://newprairiepress.org/hbr/vol4/iss2/11 DOI: 10.4148/2572-1836.1116 2 Glover: Keeping the Dream Alive However, nothing great is accomplished alone. I may have been the dreamer as I was headed where my dreams would take me; however, along the way, this dream could not have emerged unaided or in isolation. With the support of teachers, friends, colleagues, family and wellknown scholars, I learned, matured, and dreamed beyond my grasp. I appropriated countless ideas from others and simply elevated them to the next level as dreams must always be bigger than the dreamer. Consequently, I wish to thank all the teachers and friends for knowingly and unknowingly encouraging and allowing me the freedom to explore my dreams. However, in pursing the dream, I learned that dreams don’t work unless you do! If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Gonzo Journalism My journal friends share that the first thing taught in journalism school is don’t be a part of the story; consequently, I (...truncated)