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Charles Wayne Altree ’40, MALS ’68

Charles Wayne Altree ’40, MALS ’68, May 9, 2009, in Newton, Massachusetts. Wayne earned a BA from Reed in political science and taught social studies at Newton South High School, retiring as head of the department in 1985. He was an innovative instructor, whose “yeasty approach” to Western history was built on the concepts of tradition, continuity, innovation, and revolution. An article in Time magazine in 1964, “Teaching: Island of Change,” identified Wayne as leading the nation's “first complete overhaul” of high school social studies. A year later, Yale University honored him as one of four distinguished secondary school teachers in the nation. The New England History Teachers Association recognized him with a similar distinction, and in 1992, the American Historical Association awarded him the Eugene Asher Distinguished Teaching Award for outstanding teaching and advocacy for history teaching. His wife, Lucy, was a librarian, and he had a son and daughter. In 1989, Wayne wrote: “Reed has been the most impressive force in my life.”

Appeared in Reed magazine: September 2010

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