About 15 people showed up at Wheelock College to hear Dr. Edgar Klugman talk about this 59 years in the early childhood profession. The particpants included many Wheelock faculty who have know Ed for many years and well known in their field: Diane Levin, Gwen Morgan, Jeff Winkour. His two daughters and grandchildren came too.
Ed talked about growing up in Germany in the 1930s. A young Jewish boy with no knowledge of politics went to Hitler ralies and joined the Hitler Youth(without his parent’s permission) even though his parents said Hitler was an anti-semite. Ed finally was shipped out of the country on the kinderport movement to the US. Play was the center of his childhood.
When he was teaching in New York City he had to search the building for a rest room using the custodian’s toilet in the basement. All the staff rooms were for women. He worked in many settings in his career and visited many country. He made a name for himself throughout the world speaking about play.
Ed talked about even coming to Wheelock College and trying to intergrate the “Powder Room” for a bathroom because of so many women faculty.
He, being a professor, worked on getting action out of our group brainstorming on why discrimination against men in the field and what to do about it.
Many good ideas about getting men at Wheelock organized to encourage them to take up early childhood.
It was a good turnout and we will work on interviewing Ed and his history in the future and try to get him to speak with younger male teachers who have no access to the college environment.