Dr. Lee J. Cary, the Community Development Society’s first president, died peacefully in his sleep on February 27th. He was 96. He attended the Society’s 50th anniversary at its 2019 conference in Columbia, Missouri and received a standing ovation a sign of his many contributions to the field.
Dr. Cary was chair of the Community Development Department at the University of Missouri when he was elected as CDS president in 1969. The Society was fostered by practitioners and educators with a grounding in the principles of democratic participation, self-help and self-determination. It had 442 members in its first year of operation.
Dr. Cary is known for his 1970 edited book, Community Development as a Process, which is still used today. Past CDS leaders have valued his scholarship, warmth, caring and wit. A more detailed tribute to Dr. Cary is being sought for our journal, Community Development. Please send your memories about him to Ron Hustedde at rhusted@uky.edu by May 1, 2022.
