Unlike Maslow, Knowles appeared to have a happy childhood, living first in Montana, then Florida. He claimed that Boy Scouts taught him just as much if not more than anything he had learned in formal schooling. Coming from a comfortable middle class background, Knowles earned a scholarship to Harvard where he studied philosophy, history, political science, and foreign law. After graduating from Harvard in 1934, Knowles planned on joining the Foreign Service. However, there was a three year waiting list for the Foreign Service, which forced Knowles to search for other work. (Smith, 2002)
This set of circumstances led Knowles to the field of education, which for him started off focused on youth, serving as a deputy state administrator for the National Youth Administration in Boston. However, Knowles is best known for his instrumental contribution to adult educational theories. Even though the term andragogy had been around for over 100 years, he popularized the term in a new context that he used to differentiate children education to adult education. In 1940 he began working for the Boston YMCA as the director of adult education, truly starting his career as an adult educator and educational theorist. Not long after this, he held the same position with the YMCA's is Chicago and Detroit. In 1951, Knowles founded the Adult Education Association of the United States and served as its executive secretary until 1959 when he began his teaching career.
Knowles' first teaching position was at Boston University, where his study of informal adult education led him to formulate his theory of andragogy. After 14 years at Boston University, he took up a teaching job at North Carolina State University, still working in the field of education. After his retirement, he continued to be active in his writing and his theoretical pursuits, first at the Fielding Institute in California and then finally at the University of Arkansas. (Gale, 2003)
Throughout his professional career, Knowles published 25 books on adult learning, as well as a number of articles. (Henry, 2011)
Despite the large number of books Knowles wrote, the majority of his work is hard to access. Our university has four books written by Knowles as well as some secondary sources, however we do not hold own subscriptions to the journal in which he published. Several secondary sources were available online, some of which proved fruitful, others were simply useless.
This set of circumstances led Knowles to the field of education, which for him started off focused on youth, serving as a deputy state administrator for the National Youth Administration in Boston. However, Knowles is best known for his instrumental contribution to adult educational theories. Even though the term andragogy had been around for over 100 years, he popularized the term in a new context that he used to differentiate children education to adult education. In 1940 he began working for the Boston YMCA as the director of adult education, truly starting his career as an adult educator and educational theorist. Not long after this, he held the same position with the YMCA's is Chicago and Detroit. In 1951, Knowles founded the Adult Education Association of the United States and served as its executive secretary until 1959 when he began his teaching career.
Knowles' first teaching position was at Boston University, where his study of informal adult education led him to formulate his theory of andragogy. After 14 years at Boston University, he took up a teaching job at North Carolina State University, still working in the field of education. After his retirement, he continued to be active in his writing and his theoretical pursuits, first at the Fielding Institute in California and then finally at the University of Arkansas. (Gale, 2003)
Throughout his professional career, Knowles published 25 books on adult learning, as well as a number of articles. (Henry, 2011)
Despite the large number of books Knowles wrote, the majority of his work is hard to access. Our university has four books written by Knowles as well as some secondary sources, however we do not hold own subscriptions to the journal in which he published. Several secondary sources were available online, some of which proved fruitful, others were simply useless.