WSU Board of Governors Honors Charlie Parrish

Charlie Parrish with then Vice-President Anca Vlasopolos, 2015.

At the December 7 meeting of the Wayne State University Board of Governors, the Board Chair presented the resolution below acknowledging Charlie Parrish for his fifty years of service to the university.

Charlie was a formidable presence on campus. During his time in leadership he negotiated many contracts and waged battles on behalf of faculty and academic staff. He dramatically increased the union’s power in 1998 when he led the process of affiliating the AAUP chapter with AFT, which brought the union into the AFL-CIO. Congratulations Charlie!

BOARD OF GOVERNORS RESOLUTION HONORING AND THANKING CHARLES PARRISH

Whereas

Charles (Charlie) Parrish has had a tremendous career at WSU, spanning 50 years and including service as a professor of political science, beginning in 1971, as the Director of the WSU Institute of Gerontology (1972-1985), and as a Department chair, and

Whereas

That is only half of the story. Charlie Parrish expended much energy and a tremendous amount of time in the years between 1989 and 2021 in the service of his fellow academic workers, and that’s over 30 years. From the bargaining committee, to the faculty grievance operation, at the National AAUP leadership council and in the presidency of the AAUP Local 6075, which is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers and the AFL-CIO, Charlie worked hard on behalf of his members, the great professors and academic staff of Wayne State University, and

Whereas

He served five WSU administrations and Presidents, all the while willing to inform them when he disagreed with their decisions. Charlie Parrish believed in the academic standard of effective shared governance and is quoted here, “The Union is seen by sensible academics and administrators as a responsible partner in working for an effective institution,” and

Whereas

Charlie Parrish will forever be remembered as both a dedicated professor and an active union President. His enormous contributions to Wayne State University and his union are reflected first in longevity, next in his diligence and commitment and are measured by his lifetime rating in “Rate My Professor” as one that 85% of students would re-enroll with, and by the successful, lasting merger between AAUP and the American Federation of Teachers, a project important to the American and Michigan labor movements that Charlie spearheaded; and

Whereas

Colleagues have mentioned his distinguished academic career, and his superior classroom presence, as well as his sometimes unappreciated, but thoughtful grievance, promotion and appointment work on behalf of others. And colleagues have praised his hours of unheralded, detailed committee work that, while often allowing others to take center stage, is found at the heart of progress in the academic enterprise.

Therefore be it resolved that, on this day of December 7th, 2023, at their formal meeting, the Wayne State University Board of Governor’s unanimously recognizes and with gratitude gives their thanks to Charlie Parrish for his many years of important service to Wayne State University.

Adopted Thursday, December 7, 2023