A celebrated Marquis listee, Dr. John R. McCracken has been showcased in the 24th and 25th editions of Who's Who in the South and Southwest.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, May 28, 2020 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present John R. McCracken with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Dr. McCracken 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.
Having led a diversified career in library science, higher education, Native American Studies, and public administration, Dr. McCracken retired from his professional career as an instructor at the Metro Technology Skills Center in 2002. Inspired by a love of reading, teaching, Native American cultures, and management , he also taught graduate courses in library science and public administration at Clark College, Texas Woman's University, University of Oklahoma, and undergraduate courses at the University of Arizona, all while holding key positions in libraries in various western states. Most notably, he served as the library director for the Carnegie-Stout Public Library in Dubuque, Iowa, library director for the Shasta County Library System in Redding, California, the Library Services Division for the Oklahoma Department of Libraries, director of business and technology for the Fort Worth Public Library in Fort Worth, Texas, Director of Management Services for the City of Yuma (Arizona), library director for the Yuma City-County Library in Yuma, Arizona, Director of the Main Library, Tucson Public Library in Tucson, Arizona, and library director for the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School District in Sudbury, Massachusetts. In another major role, Dr. McCracken founded the library planning and consulting firm of McCracken & Associates which produced numerous library studies among Native American population groups. Several management studies were also prepared for the Nevada State Library and Archives. As a consultant, his work generally resulted in publications (books), journal articles, book reviews, and he delivered presentations in state and national library associations and public service organizations on various topics in his fields.
In the 19 years between 1985 and 2003, Dr. McCracken served as a national advisor for Native American discretionary grants under Title IV of the Library Services and Construction Act for the U.S. Department of Education/Institute of Museum and Library Services. Dr, McCracken also served as a national board member of the Training and Assistance for Indian Library services (TRAILS) 1987-1990, headquartered at the University of Oklahoma. He served with distinction on numerous committees, task forces, and consortia with the American Library Association (ALA). Most notably, he served as a very active member and/or chairperson for the Visiting Team Members of the prestigious Committee on Accreditation (COA). University graduate library education programs depend upon the work of and recommendations made by the Visiting Team Members to the COA to maintain (or lose) their accreditation status. He also served as a consultant for the accreditation preparation process for the University of Arizona and the University of Oklahoma.
A dedicated civic advocate throughout much of his career, Dr. McCracken earned leadership distinction in the communities in which he was employed. He served as the President of the University of Denver Graduate Library School Alumni Association. He served as chair of the Tucson Area Library Council and as chair of the Tucson Audio-Visual Association. He was a member of the Board of Directors for the Yumohave Regional Library System and served as President of the Yuma County Coordinating Council and was on the board of directors for the Yuma County Guidance Clinic. He also served on the governing body for the Shasta County Regional Library System in Northern California. In Iowa, Dr. McCracken was a finalist judge for the annual One Act Plays contest, sponsored by the Dubuque Fine Arts Players.
To remain aware of and to make contributions to his fields, Dr. McCracken held numerous positions in professional associations such as the American Library Association, the American Society for Public Administration, the Public Library Association, The American Indian Library Association, the Arizona Library Association, the Southwest Library Association, the Texas Library Association, the Oklahoma Library Association, the California Library Association, and the Iowa Library Association.
Highly educated, Dr. McCracken earned his Associate of Arts degree in English in 1964 from Chabot College in Hayward, California. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Scandinavian from the University of California at Berkeley in 1967, followed by the Master of Arts degree in Library Science from the University of Denver in 1968. He later received the Master's Degree in Public Administration in 1980 from the University of Arizona. In 1992, Dr. McCracken was awarded an earned Doctor of Philosophy degree in Library Science at Texas Woman's University. Eminently qualified in his fields, Dr. McCracken is a certified public library, educator, Native American Studies, and public administration professional. He has been recognized for his teaching skills at Texas Woman's University and the University of Arizona. He is the recipient of numerous awards from the U.S. Department of Education for his work with evaluating discretionary grant proposals from Native American throughout the nation. He also was recognized by the Governor of Oklahoma for Special Recognition for Leadership in Developing and Implementing Statewide Public Library Standards. A celebrated Marquis listee, Dr. McCracken has been showcased in the 24th and 25th editions of Who's Who in the South and Southwest.
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