2007-2008 Dr. Paul M. Pair Innovation Award

Paul Pair embodies the saying, "The only constant today is change." An educator, innovator, lecturer, and member of several computer and education associations, Paul earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from McPherson College in 1922. He soon earned his Masters in Education from the University of Washington and commenced his life of education-related travels. Over the years he has served as a teacher, principal, superintendent of schools, director of several prominent business schools, and eventually co-founder and director with his wife, Pauline, of the Pair School of Business in Chicago.

Feeling strongly that education is a lifelong experience and that persons must not be afraid to train and retrain and even change careers several times, Paul and his son Reese continued as pioneers in the field of data processing education and co-founded The Automation Institution of Chicago. Paul and Pauline have been responsible for the creation of scholarships at McPherson College, Control Data Corporation, Tarelton State University, and Arizona State University. Four perpetual scholarships have been created in Paul Pair's honor.

Dr. Pair likes to quote Longfellow in summarizing his life-long dedication to education: "Lives of great men all remind us, we can make our lives sublime, and departing, leave behind us footprints in the sands of time!"