Herschel W. Nisonger

Herschel W. Nisonger devoted his life to the cause of universal human dignity. After graduation from The Ohio State University in 1914, he devoted his early career to the fields of agricultural education and educational administration on both high school and university levels. After receiving his master's degree from Columbia University in 1926, Mr. Nisonger accepted a full professorship in Ohio State's College of Agriculture and Economics.

Ten years later he added to his career with the acceptance of a professorship and assistant directorship in Ohio State's Bureau of Special and Adult Education. He subsequently was appointed director of the program and served in that capacity until 1957, when he became director of Ohio State's Bureau of Educational Research and Service. He left that position in 1969 to become director of special studies for the American Association on Mental Deficiency.

Mr. Nisonger devoted his energies to the field of mental health and retardation on local, state, and national levels through energetic research, consultation, and administration. It was under his direction that the Ohio Comprehensive Mental Health and Mental Retardation Planning Study, completed in 1965, laid the groundwork for community-oriented programs. This led to the creation of the Nisonger Center. Herschel W. Nisonger's ideal of life with dignity is the underlying theme for all activities at the Nisonger Center.