Obituaries
Carl Frederick Frost
Carl Frederick Frost, born the son of Jens Christian Frost and Cecelia Marie (Stockholm) Frost on October 5, 1914 in Portland, Oregon, died June 20, 2009.
Carl and his wife Evelyn Laurine (Jacobson) Frost celebrated 60 years together before her death on August 2, 2003.
They are survived by their children: their daughter, Susan Elizabeth DiSalvo, her husband, Dr. Joseph DiSalvo; their son, Carl Francis DiSalvo, his wife, Betsy, and their daughters, Evelyn Nancy and Josephine Onorata; their son, Dr. Richard Alan Frost, his wife, Susan Cherrier, and their children, Megan Alyse, Peter Christian, and Danae Jacqueline; their son, Robert Lee Frost, his wife, Jane Dirksen, and their children, Katie Lynn and Eric Richard, and great grandsons, Quintin Robert and Ryland Joseph; and their daughter, Jacqueline Christine Kunnen, her husband, Dr. Robert H. Kunnen, and their son, Christopher Joseph. Carl Frost is survived by his brother, Thomas Rogers Frost in Federal Way, Washington.
Carl Frost earned a bachelor of science in zoology/chemistry at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon; a master of psychology at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon; and a doctor of philosophy in clinical psychology from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Carl served in the U.S. Navy in World War II as an air intelligence officer and air sea rescue squadron executive officer for 4½ years. He was an instructor at M.I.T. in 1947–1949. He became an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at Michigan State University in 1949 and retired as professor emeritus on July 1, 1980. Carl also served the university on two overseas assignments in Sao Paulo, Brazil (1958–1960) and Nsukka, Nigeria (1964–1966). He worked with D. J. De Pree as a consultant in 1949 at Herman Miller to implement, refine, and innovate the Scanlon principles and process. His work was recognized by the American Psychological Association, and these concepts are now known as the Frost/Scanlon Plan. Carl also had international consulting experience in Korea, Spain, United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway, Canada, and Iceland.
A memorial service was held at University Lutheran Church in East Lansing, 1020 South Harrison. Memorial contributions may be made to:
Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy
3860 N. Long Lake Rd., Suite D
Traverse City, MI 49684
Frank J. Landy
Kevin R. Murphy
The Pennsylvania State University
On January 12, 2010, I-O psychology lost one of its best, Frank Landy. Frank was professor emeritus of industrial psychology at Penn State University where he taught for 26 years, and his stamp on the I-O program at Penn State remains to this day. The centerpiece of the Penn State I-O program is still the 3-year practicum Frank introduced and championed.
Frank was the author of six books in areas ranging from introductory psychology to employment litigation and over 80 articles covering an incredible range of topics. One of Frank’s ambitions was to publish in every APA journal, and he came closer to this goal than anyone else I know. Frank served as SIOP president and as associate editor of Journal of Applied Psychology. After leaving Penn State, Frank founded two consulting organizations and testified in over 50 cases related to employment discrimination.
Frank’s professional contributions were impressive, but it is Frank Landy the man who will be remembered most. Frank was a brilliant, fun-loving guy with a wide-ranging mind and a true love of a spirited debate. He truly found his calling as an expert witness in litigation and was one of the few I-O psychologists who relished depositions, cross-examination, and the like. I first saw this side of Frank when I was a graduate student at Penn State, where he loved to tell stories of beating up on the poor IRS auditors who had the bad luck to try to take on Frank. He always left the audit with a larger tax refund than he had gone in with. Many of us are going to miss Frank’s wit, his banter, his thought-provoking questions, and his obvious love for I-O psychology.
Frank’s zest for life was amazing. He was an avid runner, completing over 60 marathons. He played and collected guitars. He was a talented actor. He traveled all over the world and lived in a number of countries were he taught students about psychology in the U.S. His list of friends, colleagues, coauthors, and collaborators spans the globe.
Frank is survived by his wife Kylie Harper and his two daughters Erin and Elizabeth.