A Tribute to William M. Cruickshank (1915-1992)
When Doug Fuchs invited me to write this memorial, I was hesitant; and that in itself tells a great deal about the qualities of William M. Cruickshank: It is not hyperbole to use terms such as giant, legend, founding father, and superb mentor to describe this man. I shrank at the prospect of trying to capture the essence of what he meant to the field of special education and the children, adolescents, and adults it serves. One of my first thoughts was, "Why me?" Bill had several other doctoral students, both at Syracuse University, before he came to the University of Michigan, where I was a student, and after. Who was I to take on this solemn task? But, then, who was anyone to write a eulogy for a man of such stature? And my being his first doctoral student at the University of Michigan and fitting just about in the middle of his long list of advisees provided some logic for my writing the piece. There was, however, another reason for my initial reluctance, which was only revealed to me through a conversation with Bill's wife, Dorothy. Not only does this conversation illustrate the reasons for my hesitation, but it also delineates the attributes that made Bill such an outstanding advisor of doctoral students and a pillar in the special education community. When I called Dorothy, I began to explain that I wanted a copy of Bill's vita so that I could be completely accurate with regard to any details about his career. Without missing a beat, and preceding my own thinking by a few milliseconds, she said, chuckling, "Yes, if you weren't [accurate], Bill would haunt you the rest of your life." Bill was a perfectionist, and if you were his student he expected you to be one, too. The important thing about this expectation was that it was accompanied by a confidence that, indeed, you would be perfect, or nearly so, anyway. Bill's unflagging belief in the abilities of his doctoral advisees was what made him such a great mentor. Yes, he opened doors for you. Yes, he encouraged you to read the literature broadly. But it was his confidence in you that had the greatest impact. Case studies of Bill's relationships with his doctoral advisees would provide fascinating data for theorists in the field of motivation. At first, you thought, "Damn, he's going to find out I'm not as good as he thinks I am. I'd better work even harder so he won't discover I'm a phony." Gradually, however, you too began to internalize some of the things he said about you. You never really believed it all, but you began