Title: Director (Retired)
Company: Whitney Young School of Honors and Liberal Studies, Kentucky State University
Location: Frankfort, Kentucky, United States
Dr. Thomas J. McPartland, former director of the Whitney Young School of Honors and Liberal Studies at Kentucky State University, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Educators for dedication, achievements, and leadership in philosophy.
During his undergraduate studies at the University of Santa Clara in the late 1960s, Dr. McPartland was exposed to a wide range of texts in philosophy, which sparked a passion within him that would bring him success in his five-decade-long career. As his fascination grew, so did his commitment to the field. Dr. McPartland earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1967 and pursued a Master of Arts and a PhD at the University of Washington (earned in 1969 and 1976, respectively). From there, Dr. McPartland established his reputation of excellence through prominent roles, including acting assistant professor and lecturer for the University of Washington, lecturer for Pacific Lutheran University, and assistant professor at Seattle University. In 1992, he joined the faculty at Kentucky State University, where he dedicated the next 24 years of his career. Dr. McPartland found success in positions that included assistant professor, associate professor, acting dean and professor. Retired in 2016, he spent the last decade of his tenure with the college as director of the Whitney Young School of Honors and Liberal Studies.
Dr. McPartland demonstrates a strong affinity for and expertise in the thought of Bernard Lonergan, a Canadian Jesuit priest, philosopher, and theologian, regarded by many as one of the most important thinkers of the 20th century. A student of his works, including “Insight: A Study of Human Understanding” and “Method in Theology,” Dr. McPartland published two books and multiple articles on the late scholar. He authored “Lonergan and the Philosophy of Historical Existence,” and “Lonergan and Historiography: The Epistemological Philosophy of History.” Additionally, he has contributed many published articles and contributions to books dealing with the philosophy of Lonergan and has presented papers for over three decades at numerous conferences nationally and internationally, including the Lonergan Workshop at Boston College, the West Coast Methods Institute, and the American Political Science Association.
To remain at the top of his field, Dr. McPartland has been incredibly involved in his professional community. Notably, he held memberships with the Southern Regional Honors Council, the National Collegiate Honors Council, the American Political Science Association, the West Coast Methods Institute, and the Honorary Order of Kentucky Colonels. He served as the president of the Kentucky Honors Roundtable for 10 years, as well as president of the academy senate for Kentucky State University for one year. Dr. McPartland is proud of his work for the governor’s scholar program at West Kentucky University and as an editorial board member for “Method: A Journal of Lonergan Studies.” In recognition of his professional excellence, Dr. McPartland was named Kentucky State University Distinguished Professor and he was the recipient of a Who’s Who Lifetime Achievement Award. In the years to come, Dr. McPartland intends to continue with his research so that he may write more books and contribute to journals.
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