Dr. Ernest Ramirez:

“First, I need to thank God for your life and your ministry of mentoring doctoral students at the University of Oklahoma through their book reports, your label for dissertations. Second, for Mrs. Rhea Seaberg, your spouse, and your three sons, John J. III, Norman, and Jim”, thank you for sharing your husband and father with us.

I came to refer to Dr. Seaberg by the Spanish name, La Palanca. The word in translation is lever. From the start of my followership as Dr. Seaberg’s student, (1977–1981) his personhood expressed a kind, gentle awareness for excellent scholarship in dissertations. His unique way of guiding me through the processes of dissertation writing made Dr. Seaberg an academic pioneer. In a cultivating way, he cleared my mental wilderness. We plowed the soil of my research; he owned the “first plow.” As he and I discussed selected lines in my dissertation, he would ask if Ernest Ramirez was following a well-designed set of managerial skills in research and development. He believed that accuracy in laying out facts was the first demonstration of high standards of research. Finally, Dr. Seaberg believed that if accuracy and high standards of care in research were present in one’s dissertation, then quality was present also.

The lever is a useful tool for finishing one’s academic work. However, it works better when it is coupled with the fulcrum. Dr. Seaberg’s platform was broad and deep enough that it permitted me to complete the writing of dissertation number 9. Dr. Seaberg and I kept in touch over the years since 1981 and I am very thankful for our conversations. This opportunity to remember Dr. John J. Seaberg, Jr. is an addendum.”

Lloyd Snow:

Dr. Seaberg was old school. Do the right thing for the right reasons and you will get right results. Ironically as Superintendent of Schools in Sand Springs our founder Charles Page established a school/community motto of “think right”. Dr. Seaberg’s legacy for me was his integrity and influence of leading with courage and character.

Bill Osborne:

“I think often of Dr. John J. Seaberg, Jr. The word Professor is defined as a “scholarly teacher” and John J. Seaberg, Jr., will always be remembered by me as “Professor Seaberg”. He was a scholarly teacher, a wonderful mentor, and a valuable friend. He was an educator who professed what he knew to be true and valuable to his students. He was eager to share his knowledge and experiences with those who would listen. He believed and would remind students often that “OU prepared educators to make a difference”, and he was right. Through his daily actions, he demonstrated his values and beliefs.

My fondest memories of this great man center around travel across the state in a little blue Chevy Sprint. I was fortunate to spend quite a bit of travel time with Professor Seaberg during the period I served as Director of the Oklahoma Leadership in Educational Administration Development (LEAD) Project. As the Seaberg family and other colleagues know, he and I spent many hours driving around the state of Oklahoma in my little blue Sprint. The small three cylinder Chevy Sprint that did good to reach the top end of the speed limit was our home away from home for quite a few long trips. Professor Seaberg was not a small man, so he would have to find a way to fit in that right hand front seat during our travels. It was fun to listen to him give me a lecture about how a Senior Professor at the University of Oklahoma should be treated a little better than to be cooped up in a low to the ground egg crate puttering down the road at about 60 miles an hour.

He would remind me we needed to move along more quickly so he could get home to prepare for his next class or meeting or some other event — then he would just look at me and grin! The twinkle from his eyes was almost blinding during these “lectures”. He had an infectious smile that I still see in my mind today. I consider myself lucky as I had a captive Professor Seaberg all to myself and I am proud to admit that I took those opportunities to listen to his stories and learn from such a wise man. I had many opportunities to hear of his love for his family. He was so proud of his wife and children and of their education and careers. He spoke often and fondly of his grandchildren and I know for a fact that he was a happy and proud husband, father and grandfather. He was a special man.

I spent the last twenty years of my career in higher education, teaching educational administration classes and serving as an educational leader. I thought of Professor Seaberg almost every day. His lessons and “learning experiences” served me well during my career and continue to serve me well into my retirement. I will always remember his smile and the twinkle in his eyes when he knew a student had learned. Dr. John J. Seaberg, Jr. professed the value of an education and of sound experiences as tools necessary to be successful. His message is still true today.”

Keith Harman:

“Dr. Seaberg taught me the power and beauty of systems theory. It has been a paradigm I have used for great practical and theoretical benefit.”

Sherrill Neil:

“Dr. Seaberg was instrumental in shaping my leadership style as a public school administrator. He was simply the best instructor I had during my years of attending classes. His favorite saying was “On to the next level.” Which meant to me that you were always trying to attain a different level of understanding progressing through your career.”

Cynthia Brown:

“The advanced degree or certificate that his students were working on was “a ticket”. That understanding clicked with me during the long slog toward my superintendent’s certificate and doctorate. Thanks.”

Chip Weiner:

“I love systems. He was a systems man. I think, not sure, that he took a particular interest in me because of it. I made it a habit that when I met professors I would always introduce myself. I thought it would help them remember me. And tell them my name since they interacted with so many students. Finally, one time, he gave me this look, and said Chip, don’t do that anymore. I promise you that I will remember who you are, and your name. And he did. We tried real hard to get him on my doctoral committee but, they wouldn’t let him because he was on too many already. It was my loss.”

Jim Myers:

“Dr. John Seaberg had a profound positive impact on my life both personally and professionally. As a professor and as my dissertation chair he invested himself into my life. He was a mentor in the truest sense of that word and I am a better person because of his influence. As a professor myself I strive to sow into the lives of a new generation of school administrators. That is an amazing leadership opportunity made possible by Dr. Seaberg sowing into my life. I can only hope that my efforts emulate and reflect the best of what he believed and taught.”

Ernest B. Helin:

‘Be life long or short, its completeness depends on what it was lived for’. – David Starr Jordan (1851–1931) Educator and Writer

I commend the Seaberg Family for establishing the Dr. John J. Seaberg Graduate Fellowship. The Fellowship, to support graduate students in the College of Education, is a fitting tribute to Dr. Seaberg.

For Professor Seaberg, life’s completeness was focused on opening minds and providing theoretical and practical insights and ideas to students. Without question, his pedagogical skills better equipped students for both personal and business challenges ahead.

I remember, both as a graduate student and colleague, the comradeship between Professors Seaberg, Tom Wiggins, and Herb Hengst. Together they formed the “Center for Studies in Higher Education” — an educational leadership “center” second to none.

I remember Dr. Seaberg explaining and demonstrating the use of flow charts. He was especially fond of reducing organizational decision-making to simple drawings. I can attest, however, that some of his simple drawings were not so simple.

Armed with diagrams, Dr. Seaberg led students through “decision points,” “yes and no” questions, and finally down pathways to logical conclusions.

One day, I suggested to Dr. Seaberg he hadn’t gone far enough. Perhaps his flow charts could be more understandable if they were “color-coded,” using an array of colors to identify decision-making points. To my knowledge, he never commented about the merits of my suggestion. But, I did notice he began encouraging students to diagram their flow charts in “living color.”

Professor Seaberg was a remarkable person and a great educator. He allowed his students the flexibility to think “outside the box,” modifying old ideas and developing new thoughts based upon what he had presented. Many times there emerged both within the teacher and student a “new” teacher and student.

As Bertha Calloway, Founder of the Great Plains Black Museum said, and certainly echoed by John Seaberg: “We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.”

Professor Seaberg “adjusted” the sails of many inquisitive and growing minds!”

Dr. David Barbosa:

“I came to the University of Oklahoma in the Fall of 1976. I was one of a group of Hispanic doctoral students who came to be known as the “Bilingual Fellows.” All of the fellows were afforded the opportunity to pursue a doctoral degree as the result of a U.S. Department of Education Grant secured by Dr. Ricardo Garcia, Assistant Professor in the College of Education. Two of the fellows, Earnest Ramirez and I, made the decision to concentrate our studies in the General Administration Program.

This decision resulted in taking courses taught by Dr. Seaberg, among others. It became quite clear to both of us that Dr. Seaberg gracefully welcomed us as “Bilingual Fellows” and embraced our diverse presence which reverberated throughout the college. It was not a difficult decision to seek Dr. Seaberg’s consent to serve as the chair of my dissertation committee. He agreed and provided sage advice throughout the writing process in spite of my relocation to Colorado. My study was a departure from the norm, being qualitative and ethnographic in nature.

Dr. Seaberg provided me with sufficient freedom to blaze my own trail. He carefully supervised the research, documentation and reporting of the study with a clear mind and a professorial sensitivity. Having said that, I vividly recall on more than one occasion Dr. Seaberg, with a big smile, reminding me that I was to set aside 10% of my future administrative earnings to compensate him for the time he invested in me. I shall always be grateful for his investment and commitment to my personal and professional growth, as well as the example he provided me as a consummate school administrator and college professor.”

Dr. John Scroggins:

“John Seaberg was a man with high expectations for himself and his doctoral students. I am confident that Dr. Seaberg wrote many personal notes on other graduate students’ term projects. He was one professor that read every assignment I ever submitted and made many thoughtful statements that often caused me to have some deep reflections regarding the position that I was defending. However, the day he wrote a note on one of my papers asking me if I had considered applying for the doctoral program had to have been one of the greatest notes of encouragement that I had received up to that point in my academic career. Little did I know that this was just the beginning of the personal and professional attention that I was going to receive over the long hall of completing all the requirements of the doctoral program.

Seaberg modeled professionalism in all of his interactions with his graduate students. His standards were tough, and I knew if I could measure up to his expectations I would be able to meet the expectations of my other committee members.

Like many other graduate students, we were working full time and carrying a heavy load of graduate work. Dr. Seaberg told me that if I wanted him to be the Chair of my Doctoral Committee that I had to meet his time line requirements. If I would make a commitment to him, he would support my efforts.

After my prospectus was approved and I continued the research and writing over the next few months, we had some wonderful meetings. However, few graduate students received the visits that I enjoyed. John was a biker long before it was the cool thing to be. He was a very busy professor and concerned about his fitness. He would ride his bike from his house to the OU campus each morning. His bike route passed within a few blocks of my office. He would come to my office, and we would sit at my conference table. He would have read a chapter of the dissertation and have comments for me. One morning he stopped by to inform me that I had a reference citation in the chapter that he just read and he could not find the citation in my the bibliography.

I remember breaking out in a sweat and thinking what I did I leave out? I was so thankful that we were in my office, because I carried all my notes and references to work each day so I could work at night. At that point I was afraid to let any of my research out of my hands. I was able to pull the card with all the essential reference and show him that it was an oversight. I did not want to disappoint the man who made a commitment to be my Doctoral Chair. When I think about checking all of my work the man read all of my bibliography, and all the sections of the interview that I was conducting. There was no part of my dissertation that he was not on top of during the complete process.

Dr. Seaberg gave more to me than just being an academic advisor. Little did I realize at that time what he was doing for me. The personal investment that he was making in me was equipping me for some challenges in my future that I did not fully understand. I was feeling a little stressed but again did not want to let this man down. It was during this time that Norman Public Schools and the OU College of Education were working together with Project Lead.

I was very fortunate to be a member of the planning committee that took the Leadership Training to the four quadrants of the state as we worked to build and encourage school leaders to become instructional leaders. It was great to see John Seaberg in another role of building and encouraging others to become more than they dreamed they could become. The road trips our team made, great dinners and laughter helped me develop a deeper respect for the quality of this man.

The day of the oral defense of the dissertation was more than what I could have ever hoped it to be. I was pleased with how things were going in the meeting even though there were a couple of uncomfortable moments on my part. Then the time came when I was sent out of the room, and I waited. I remember that I was walking the hall of the first floor of the college of education. I was waiting near the front entrance of the building, turned around and saw John Seaberg walking from the other end of the hall toward me. I made eye contact with him and did not see an immediate change in his expression. When he reached me, this highly professional man said congratulations Dr. Scroggins, and he gave me a bear hug that shocked me and left me speechless for a few minutes.

John Seaberg was a straight shooter. When he gave me a standard the rules did not change. He lived, worked, and played as a man of integrity. He was mentoring me and at that time I did not realize all that he was giving me. It is because of his example that I am able to encourage others to become more than they dreamed that they can become.”

Just a couple of other vignettes:

“You mentioned in your request that you and your family did not have the opportunity to see your Dad in the classroom. He was a powerful instructor. He was a rare university professor. He taught all over the classroom. He did not just stand and lecture at the front of the room. I can recall a few times when he moved to the back of the room during some group discussions. Without saying a word he could engage some of the coaches on the back row in the group’s conversation. He used the power of teacher proximity to involve all learners.”

“Your Dad would often tell us “no pain, no gain!”. There were a few times I would have been happy to have less pain!!!!! He was a man who was proud of his family. I recall him sharing stories of helping you and your brother make moves across the country. One story was driving one of your cars into the back of a moving van and how you secured the vehicle for the trip.”

Dr. Paul Calmes:

“John Seaberg was my advisor for my Ph.D. He was a constant source of encouragement and he was instrumental in my receiving the Ohm Award for my doctoral work. He was “with me” all the way when I colored outside the lines and did an ethnographic study of school superintendents in five different educational systems. His bright smile, and his deep commitment to education, his faith, his church, and his family, and his students made me want him as my chairman. He guided me thru getting a great committee, and he was a dedicated professor.

However, I can’t end this without sharing my favorite memory – John riding his bicycle down Westbrook Terrace with his huge golden retriever pulling him at mach speed. I’m not sure who enjoyed it the most – John or the dog.”

Dr. June Knight:

“Please forgive the informality of this quick not but I felt I would burst if this weren’t written right now!

My husband and I moved to Altus almost three years ago. It is still in the ‘home’ area and only 35 miles from Hobart and 23 from Granite. We’ve built a home and I’m serving as superintendent of Southwest Technology Center. It’s work and I’m enjoying it. The tech center is actively involved with business and industry, as well as civic efforts and economic development…so I stay busy.

I hope you and your wife are doing well and continuing to enjoy life in Colorado!

There have been many times during the past couple of years when you, Dr. Seaberg, have been brought to my mind. I think often of the investment of time you put into my career and education. Many, many times I have had the opportunity to recount your influence on my ability to complete the doctorate. I shall never forget the fall (October to be exact) when I received the call of encouragement from you stating ‘here is what you are going to do, June.’ You didn’t accept any argument from me and I’m grateful.

You always told us to ‘make a difference’ and I have made every effort to do just that. In doing that, I also encourage others to ‘make a difference’ and often remind the SWTC faculty/staff that we are ‘making a difference’ through the training we do with people.

This morning upon my return to work after a two-week break, I found a small and professionally engraved acrylic award sitting on its own base inscribed “Dr. June Knight, Superintendant, Southwest Technology Center, ‘You Make a Difference’”. One of the staff had left a very nice card along with the award sitting on my desk. Needless to say, it tugged at my heart string, put a smile on my face, and made me think of you. I, and many other like me, am able to ‘make a difference’ because you, Dr. Seaberg, made a difference in us. Thank you for giving of yourself to so many.”

Dr. Linda Sue Warner:

“Dr. Seaberg’s example took the term “role model” to a new level. It was a quiet, but clear expectation.

There were few women and fewer AIs in doctoral programs and I carried a major in personnel, which was his specialty, as you know. He coached me through…several job changes and family issues and I knew that he would support me if I stayed the course…[Dr. Seaberg] was always in a good mood when I visited and always had a ready smile.

I once told him I was going to apply for a job as superintendent in Miami OK…He said, well, you’re a woman, a republican, and an OU alumna in a male, democratic, Cowboy town. Then he laughed. He was right of course. I never had a chance, but it tells you two things, one, he knew his state, and two, he could be and would be direct and honest with his students, well, with everyone as far as I could tell.”

Even after I was on faculty at KU, Penn State, and Missouri, I never felt I was an equal and even now, close to the end of my career, I would never call him John. This was not a requirement from him, you understand, it is a measure of my respect for him. His example, which I will characterize as “firm, fair, and friendly” still impacts my supervisory style.

I won an award as American Indian Educator of the Year in 2001 and my school had a reception in ABQ. We sent invitations to folks all over the country. NIEA is the largest organization of AIs in the country and about 3,000 people typically attend that conference. Our reception was at the All Indian Pueblo Council on 12th street.

I remember I was doing my giveaway when [Dr. Seaberg and his wife, Rhea] walked in. I was in the front of the room and was so amazed to see them there that I just stopped talking about what I was doing, and said something like, “I can’t believe your here.” It was truly one of the most amazing gifts I ever received, to have them in the audience that night.”