Dr. Surplus served as president of the Kentucky Music Educators Association, which honored him with the Distinguished Service Award.
RICHMOND, KY, October 18, 2019 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present Robert W. Surplus, EdD, with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Dr. Surplus celebrates many years' experience in his professional network, and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes he has accrued in his field. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Dr. Surplus is a retired music educator with more than 45 years of distinguished service in his field. As a child, Dr. Surplus enjoyed playing Hawaiian guitar with his brothers and excelled with the trumpet in high school band. He was encouraged to pursue music as a career by his high school band director and guidance counselor, and attended Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, earning a Bachelor of Science in 1945. He continued his education at Columbia University, completing a Master of Arts in 1947 and his Doctor of Education degree in 1968.
From 1945 to 1947, Dr. Surplus found success as a music teacher throughout New York and New Jersey. He continued his career as a music supervisor in Red Lion, Pennsylvania, between 1947 and 1956, further serving as an associate professor at Shippensburg State University from 1956 until 1958. In order to be closer to New York and further his graduate study, he taught one year at the Fox Lane School in Bedford, New York. After his year at Bedford, he became an instructor at Columbia University where he also held an assistantship in music education and conducting. While there he joined Phi Mu Alpha Sinofina. From 1961 to 1965 he was an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota where he supervised the production of twelve books about music for young people for a local publisher. In 1965, he came to Eastern Kentucky University to develop a graduate program in music education where he remained until his retirement in 1994.
Dr. Surplus served as president of the Kentucky Music Educators Association from 1971 to 1973. He was honored with the Distinguished Service Award in 1983 and received a citation for service in 1994 from the association, Dr, Surplus was appointed to the MENC Research Council at a national level in 1974 and served until 1980, Simultaneously, he served as Southern Division Research Chairman on a divisional level, and as President of the Kentucky Alliance for Arts Education at the state level.
Dr. Surplus was elected and served as president of the Southern Division of the Music Educators National Conference from 1982 to 1984. As a division president he was a member of the National Executive Board. He remembers those days fondly, particularly one instance in which one division wanted to abolish the MENC Research Council. Swift action and late-night phone calls to the Chairman by Dr. Surplus helped to defeat this motion.
Dr. Surplus is the editor and author of significant sections of "A Guidebook for State Music Education Associations," published in 1985. Dr. Surplus also edited and wrote three sections of "Beyond the Classroom: Informing Others," released in 1987. Together with a fellow past president of the Southern Division of MENC, Dr. Surplus was responsible for writing and presenting "Working Together for Quality Music Education for All Students" to MENC, which then collaborated with seven prominent education associations to create seven brochures in 1988.
In recognition of outstanding contributions to his profession and the Marquis Who's Who community, Robert W. Surplus, EdD, has been featured on the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement website. Please visit www.ltachievers.com for more information about this honor.
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