Pifer, Alan J. 1921–2005

(Alan Pifer, Alan Jay Parrish Pifer)

OBITUARY NOTICE—See index for CA sketch: Born May 4, 1921, in Boston, MA; died of dementia, October 31, 2005, in Shelburne, VT. As president of the Carnegie Corporation from 1967 to 1982, Pifer had a profound impact on federal policies regarding education, poverty, and the arts. After serving as a captain in the U.S. Army in Europe during World War II, he completed his B.A. at Harvard University in 1947. Pifer then attended graduate school at Emmanuel College, Oxford, for a year before taking a job as executive secretary for the U.S. Educational Commission in the United Kingdom. In 1953 he joined the Carnegie Corporation as an executive assistant, rising to the post of vice president in 1963, acting president in 1965, and president in 1967. As the leader of the Carnegie Corporation, Pifer became an influential voice among philanthropic organizations across the country. He urged such groups to take a more active position on government policies, and he himself spearheaded many efforts that influenced federal programs. Among his credits are his work directing the Carnegie Commission on Educational Television, which led to the establishment of the federally funded Public Broadcasting Service. Pifer held strong views on the importance of education, too, especially on the issues of early education, higher education, and racial equality in schools. With Pifer's backing, the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education was established; this group backed legislation and programs for funding higher education through grants, including the Pell Grant. This was in keeping with Pifer's belief that quality higher education should not be denied students who could not otherwise afford college. Pifer also championed other social issues, including women's rights and bilingual education. As chair of the University of Cape Town Fund, Inc., beginning in 1984, he worked toward providing more educational opportunities for black students in South Africa, as well. After stepping down as president of the Carnegie Corporation, he continued his association as a senior consultant, directing, in particular, a program studying the effects of the aging U.S. population. He was also on the board of trustees for the Caribbean Resources Development Foundation and on the board of directors for the Business Council for Effective Literacy, Inc., and the publisher McGraw-Hill, among many other activities. The author of such books as The Higher Education of Blacks in the United States (1973) and Philanthropy in an Age of Transition: The Essays of Alan Pifer (1984), Pifer will long be remembered for leading a revolution in philanthropic organizations across America.

OBITUARIES AND OTHER SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Los Angeles Times, November 5, 2005, p. B15.

New York Times, November 5, 2005, p. B14.

Washington Post, November 5, 2005, p. B7.