Dr. Glenn Latham died unexpectedly on July 10, 2001 in the Los Angeles airport on his way to a speaking engagement in Australia. Glenn, the former director of Mountain Plains Regional Resource Center (MPRRC), is remembered by friends and colleagues as the epitome of "a gentleman and a scholar." John Copenhaver, the present MPRRC Director at Utah State University commented that "it is so rare to find someone of such a huge stature intellectually that has that kind of compassion and love; he always took time for people, ans he made one wonder how he made time in his busy schedule for the individual."

Glenn was a Professor Emeritus of education at USU and a principal investigator for the Mountain Plains Regional Resource Center. He received his bachelor's degree and a master of science degree from the University of Utah and his doctorate of education from Utah State University. He was an expert in human behavior and used his knowledge to help school systems and parents across the nation improve their relationships with children.

Glenn's teaching and writings were anchored in sound principles and laws of learning from an applied behavior analysis. He assested hundreds of parents, educators, and administrators to solve complex learning and behavior problems of children. He would often comment that "no child's behavior is beyond change if the teaching methodology is used in a scientifically sound manner, consistently applying the principles of a behavioral anaylsis."

Material Glenn wrote is used as the foster parenting manual by the state of Florida, and thousands of American teachers have used his books Keys to Classroom Management and Behind the Schoolhouse Door: Eight Skills Every Teacher Should HaveI. His books, The Power of Positive Parenting and Parenting With Love: Making a Difference in a Day are parenting classics, along with taped seminars, "Parenting Prescriptions" and "An Angel Out of Tune."

Later in his career, Glenn wrote about parenting from a Christian perspective, and his book, "Christlike Parenting" has been a bestseller at Cache Valley bookstores since its publication in 1999.

Glenn was raised in Oregon and became a near professional golfer before he determined to pursue a career in education and behavioral sciences. He was among the first-generation special education teachers in the Salt Lake Valley. He established and was the first director of the Columbus Community Center, which remains as one of the finest disability programs in Utah. He became an instructor in special education at the University of Utah, but in 1971, gave up his home and an established career in Salt Lake to finish his doctorate at Utah State University. Glenn received one of the first doctorates from the Department of Special Education at Utah State University.

Glenn then returned to the University of Oregon where he worked for several years before being lured back to Utah State University and the Center for Persons with Disabilities (CPD). As the Director of the Division of Planning and Evaluation, Glenn accepted and developed the Cooperative Extension Program for People with Disabilities, attracting both state and federal funding and championing a systematic program evaluation in education and human services through Utah and the western states.

In 1980, he wrote the proposal and was awarded the federal contract that allocated the Regional Resource Center (RRC) at the CPD. Glenn served as the director of the RRC for over 20 years. He led this program and the RRC network through many challenging and difficult times. The Mountain Plains Regional Resource Center (MPRRC) is clearly the largest and longest running federal grant the CPD has optained. It has facilitated services and technical assistance contracts with state offices throughout the nation that other at CPD and Utah State University have obtained over many years. Glenn was nationally recognized by colleagues in state agencies, RRCs, the Office of Special Education Programs, and legislators as "Mr. Regional Resource Center" because of his hard work, his vision, and his leadership.

Glenn taught many different classes for the Department of Special Education at Utah State University--introductory classes to advanced graduate courses. He helped develop the research and evaluation methodology program (REM) in the Department of Psychology and provided numerous workshops on campus, throughout the state, nationally, and internationally on systematic program evaluation.

Glenn served for a short time on Senator Orrin Hatch's staff; he chaired Senator Hatch's Advisory Committee on Disability Issues for a period of time and was particularly active with national disability legislation. Many of Glenn's colleagues attribute the continuation of the RRC program and the technical assistance it provides to state offices of education and the U.S. Office of Education to Glenn's knowledge and professional skills in making this need known to Congress.

One cannot travel anywhere in special education circles, particularly at the administrative level of state and national organizations, without hearing colleagues extol and give recognition to Dr. Latham's hard work, effectiveness, and leadership. During the last few years, he maintained an almost impossible schedule of writing, researching, lecturing, and conducting workshops. Few people will miss Glenn's professional expertise more than the thousands of parents who have benefitted from the workshops, presentations, lectures, and his many publications.

Dr. Glenn Latham was a remarkable man, not only for what he accomplished and contributed, but also for the kind, considerable, and quiet way he was able to work with others. He mad each of us feel valued and important. Glenn will always be remembered not only for what he did, but for how he did it and the high standard of professional performance, dedication, and commitment that he set for all of us. Glenn was a giant among men--the kind that only comes along one in a long, long while.

(MPRRC Today, September 2001)