Janice Ellen Hale, Ph.D., a 26-year member of the College of Education's Teacher Education Division at Wayne State University, died Thursday, Sept. 14, after a long battle with cancer. She was 69.

Hale was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to the late Dr. and Mrs. Phale D. Hale. She grew up in Columbus, Ohio, and received a bachelor's in sociology and elementary education from Spelman College and a master's in religious education from the Interdenominational Theological Center before earning her doctorate in early childhood education from Georgia State University in 1974. In June of 2015, she was awarded an honorary doctorate by Spelman College.

Hale was a highly researched faculty member who joined the College of Education as a professor in 1991. She did post-doctoral studies in teaching developmental psychology and African American studies at Yale University before joining the faculty at Wayne State University's College of Education. In addition to authoring numerous articles, Hale wrote three books: Learning While Black, Unbank the Fire and Black Children.

Hale's research spanned the roots, culture and learning styles of African American children. She was the founding director of the Institute for the Study of the African American Child (ISAAC). Her founding mission of ISAAC was to close the achievement gap that affects African American children to move them from equity to excellence and to their rightful place of leadership among African people in the world.

"Dr. Hale was a prolific scholar, and two of her books were nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Her 26 years at Wayne State University will be best remembered by her founding of the Institute for the Study of the African American Child," said Thomas Edwards, Ph.D., interim associate dean for Wayne State's Teacher Education Division. "She was passionate about her work as

the director of ISAAC, and her efforts have had a positive effect on the lives of many African American children."

Hale was the recipient of numerous honors such as having been named Distinguished Alumna of the School of Education at Georgia State University in 1982, and as one of 50 future leaders in Ebony Magazine's August 1978 issue on the New Generation. In addition, she was recognized for her outstanding contributions to education by the Detroit Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women in 1994. Spelman College recognized her with an Alumnae Achievement Award in 2007 and with the Blue Diamond Award in 2008.

"Janice was a beacon of light for the education of African American children," said Ann McClain Terrell, executive director of Milwaukee Public Schools Foundation, Inc. "She was steadfast in her mission to provide information and education to people working with or on behalf of African American children."

Terrell continued, "ISAAC was to be the infrastructure for that change which included creating a community of scholars, school district leaders, researchers, educators, civil rights leaders, politicians and the African American general public. She believed that if we built that infrastructure, then we would be in a position to affect public policy that affects African American children. And for those of us who became fellows and members of ISAAC and attended the conferences, she made believers out of us as well."

Hale is survived by her son Keith A. Benson, Jr., her sister Marna Hale and her brother Hilton Hale.

A memorial will be held Saturday, Sept. 30, at Hartford Memorial Baptist Church located at 18900 James Couzens Freeway in Detroit. A family hour will be held at 10 a.m., and the service will begin at 11 a.m. Pastor Charles G. Adams will be officiating.

Contributions in loving memory may be made to the Institute for the Study of the African American Child (ISAAC), c/o Hartford Memorial Baptist Church.