Long-serving York University faculty member Professor Emeritus Dalton Kehoe passed away July 8 after a two-year battle with ALS.
Kehoe was a professor emeritus and senior scholar of communications in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS), and dedicated more than 50 years of service to York. He was also an alum of the University, where he earned his doctorate in social psychology.
He came to York in 1967 and was the first faculty member hired by the Social Science Division, said LA&PS Dean J.J. McMurtry.
His contributions to York as a teacher, scholar, public speaker and an organizational development practitioner were recognized widely with numerous awards and accolades. He was honoured for his teaching with the York University Teaching Award, and was named one of the province’s top 30 professors by Ontario’s public educational network.
Additionally, Kehoe taught organizations how to reengage their employees in his role as a senior partner in a consulting firm, and ran seminars for organizations across the continent as well as for Schulich ExecEd.
His research on the effects of learning technology on teaching in both the U.S. and Canada earned him national recognition. He published several textbooks and a breakthrough leadership book titled Mindful Management, and was invited to write and produce a DVD series titled Effective Communication Skills for the largest producer of adult education in the U.S., under their Great Courses program. It was a top release in 2011, receiving positive mentions in The Economist, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.
He continued to make an impact at York in the Department of Communications Studies with the Dalton Kehoe Prize, which is awarded to a second-year student who achieved the highest GPA in the “Communication in Everyday Life” course.
“Dalton Kehoe had a distinguished career at York, spanning more than 50 years,” said McMurtry. “His awards, accolades, and research make up part of his legacy.”
Those who wish to share memories or condolence messages can visit the online obituary.