{{short description|American educator}}
{{Infobox person | name = David A. Berry | image = David A. Berry.jpg | caption = Berry in 1997 | birth_name = | birth_date = {{circa|1945}} | birth_place = Asheville, North Carolina, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | alma_mater = University of Rochester<br>University of Connecticut | occupation = {{hlist|professor|administrator}} | spouse = | children = | awards = National Humanities Medal (1997) }}
'''David A. Berry''' (born {{circa|1945}}) is an American educator and administrator, known for co-founding and leading the Community College Humanities Association. For his efforts to strengthen the humanities curricula in community colleges across the United States, he was awarded the National Humanities Medal in 1997.
== Early life and education == David A. Berry was born in Asheville, North Carolina. A year later, his parents moved to Roseland, New Jersey, where he was raised. Berry graduated from West Essex Regional High School.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=James |first=George |date=1997-10-05 |title=IN PERSON; 'Dave Who?' Goes to Washington |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/10/05/nyregion/in-person-dave-who-goes-to-washington.html |access-date=2022-05-27 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> He then attended the University of Rochester, where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1967. In 1969, he earned a master's degree from the University of Connecticut. Afterward, he completed coursework in a PhD program at New York University without taking a degree.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=2012 Candidate Biographies {{!}} OAH |url=https://www.oah.org/about/governance/elections/2012/2012-biographies/ |access-date=2022-05-27 |website=www.oah.org}}</ref>
== Career == Berry began his career as a high school teacher in Maine, remaining in that position for one year. He declined offers to join the faculty at the University of Alabama and a college in New Hampshire in order to join the faculty at the newly opened Essex County College in Newark, New Jersey. He remained a professor of history at Essex County College for the rest of his teaching career, and he has also been an adjunct professor at New York University.<ref name=":0" />
Berry helped to create the Community College Humanities Association, a national nonprofit association that was founded in 1979. Its purpose is to promote a curriculum in the humanities at two-year colleges.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=David A. Berry |url=https://www.neh.gov/node/231 |access-date=2022-05-27 |website=The National Endowment for the Humanities |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=About CCHA – Community College Humanities Association |url=https://www.cchumanities.org/about-ccha/ |access-date=2022-05-27 |language=en-US}}</ref> Berry became the organization's executive director in 1989.<ref name=":0" /> He has also chaired the organization's board of directors. In his leadership role, he was instrumental in promoting the humanities at community colleges, including through numerous projects funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, for which he served as the project director or co-director. Among these initiatives was "Advancing the Humanities at Community Colleges: An NEH Bridging Cultures Project", which provided funding for two-year colleges to develop courses in the humanities.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-07-11 |title=New Class Designed Through Bridging Cultures NEH Grant |url=https://patch.com/missouri/kirkwood/new-class-designed-through-bridging-cultures-neh-grant |access-date=2022-05-27 |website=Kirkwood, MO Patch |language=en}}</ref> In 1995, he testified before the United States Congress about the value of the National Endowment for the Humanities.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Daily Digest March 2, 1995 - Issue: Vol. 141, No. 39 — Daily Edition |url=https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/volume-141/issue-39/daily-digest |access-date=2022-05-27 |website=www.congress.gov}}</ref> He has also directed projects funded by the Ford Foundation and the Funds for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Advancing the Humanities, Staff |url=https://ctevans.net/Technology/Details/Staff.html |access-date=2022-05-27 |website=ctevans.net}}</ref>
In 1997, Berry was awarded the National Humanities Medal, which he received from President Bill Clinton in a ceremony at the White House. In his remarks, President Clinton noted that Berry had "broadened the horizons and expanded the dreams" of students across the country.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Remarks on Presenting the National Arts and Humanities Medals {{!}} The American Presidency Project |url=https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/remarks-presenting-the-national-arts-and-humanities-medals |access-date=2022-05-27 |website=www.presidency.ucsb.edu}}</ref>
Berry has been a member of, or held committee roles in, the Organization of American Historians, the American Historical Association, the American Association of Community Colleges, and the Modern Language Association. He has published articles in ''Women's Studies Quarterly'', the ''Community College Humanities Review'', and elsewhere.<ref name=":1" /> He has also served on the Alumni Advisory Committee for the University of Rochester's history department.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alumni Advisory Committee |url=https://www.sas.rochester.edu/his/alumni/advisory-committee.html |access-date=2022-05-27 |website=www.sas.rochester.edu |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Honors ==
* National Humanities Medal (1997)<ref name=":2" /> * Presidential Medallion for Teaching and Service, Essex County College (2002)<ref name=":1" />
In addition, the Community College Humanities Association presents an annual David A. Berry National Humanities Educator Award.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Awards – Community College Humanities Association |url=https://www.cchumanities.org/about-ccha/awards-and-opportunities/awards-2/ |access-date=2022-05-27 |language=en-US}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Berry, David A.}} Category:1945 births Category:National Humanities Medal recipients Category:University of Rochester alumni Category:University of Connecticut alumni Category:American humanities academics Category:Living people Category:21st-century American educators