Dr. Layne A. Longfellow
Ohio University alum Dr. Layne A. Longfellow ’59 “educator, writer, humorist, musician, composer and world traveler, died peacefully after a lengthy illness at his home in Prescott, Arizona, on Jan. 12, 2019,” according to his obituary.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the College of Arts & Sciences at Ohio University in 1959, followed by a Ph,D. from the University of Michigan.
Dr. Longfellow was a graduate of the Jackson, Ohio, high school, Ohio University (Phi Beta Kappa, Magna cum Laude), and the University of Michigan, where he completed a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology. Following that, he received a number of post-doctoral fellowships, most notably a National Institute of Mental Health award to work with Dr. Carl R. Rogers, one of the founding fathers of psychotherapy research. In his varied career, Layne taught at Reed College in Portland, Oregon, and later was Academic Vice President at Prescott College in Prescott, Arizona, where he helped design a curriculum that integrated wilderness experience and academic studies.
In 1974, he was hired to be the Director of Seminars for Executives at the renowned Menninger Foundation in Topeka, Kansas, a post which led to an illustrious career as a professional speaker and seminar leader. In 1978, at age 40, Layne established his own company, Lecture Theater, Inc., a forum for the presentation of provocative issues with the help of spoken words, songs, humor, piano music and photographs.
Through his company, Layne presented well over 2,000 multi-media speeches and seminars to audiences and organizations internationally.
Layne was elected to the National Speaker’s Association Hall of Fame in 1985, and later awarded the rare and highly prized title of “Legendary Speaker” by his colleagues in the Association.
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