William Blank

William (Bill) Blank grew up in the deep South during the 1950s and 60s in a middleclass neighborhood and went to public schools. His mostly White world was segregated so he never interacted with members of other races, religions, cultures or of different economic status until attending college which broadened his world view immensely—particularly how people in differing circumstances were faring in America. After graduation from the University of Memphis Bill taught in a rural county where White flight had decimated the public school system; after all, this was the 60s and he was part of the generation that was going to “change the world.” Teaching there and later in an inner-city school, exposed the two worlds Americans lived it: one where some people were thriving and another where people struggled mightily. He then worked in the private sector and completed a Master’s Degree in Technical Education and taught parttime at a technical institute.

He completed a PhD in Career and Technical Education at Florida State University in 1976 and joined the faculty at the University of South Florida in Tampa, retiring in 2010 as Professor Emeritus. His work took him to countries, states and provinces from Alberta to Zimbabwe which provided much insight into how the rest of the world thinks, lives, works, and treats its citizens and the world around them. Throughout this long journey, Bill began to question whether America really was the greatest nation on Earth as he had always believed. America: Greatest Country in the World? See What the Facts Say: Bold Ideas for Making it Better came out of the search for an answer.

Dr. Blank lives in Tampa, Florida with his wife who he met while they were college students. They have two sons and two grandsons. Bill enjoys reading mysteries, science, and history, biking, traveling, the arts and he sometimes pretends he can play the classical guitar.