Distinguished Alum 1990

March 17, 1990

Lyle E. Schaller

Dr. Lyle E. Schaller, for 30 years a leading church planner and consultant to congregations, pastors, and denominational officials, was honored at commencement as 1990’s Distinguished Alum. He is ordained in the United Methodist Church and is associated with the Yokefellow Institute in Richmond, IN. Highly regarded by his peers, Schaller was judged the most influential Protestant church leader by 43 percent of respondents in a 1988-89 survey of 1,497 national and regional denominational leaders. He was followed by Henri Nouwen, Martin Marty, Robert MacAfee Brown, and Billy Graham. Schaller has written many articles and is the author of 36 books related to religion in America, and to effective ministry for pastors and laypersons. Following his 1957 graduation from seminary, he served a local parish in Wisconsin. In 1969 he became the first Director of The Center for Parish Development in Northern Ohio. Before entering the ordained ministry, he was a City Planner and Assistant to the mayor in Madison, WI. Later he was director of the Regional Planning Office in Cleveland, OH. He is now a resident of Naperville, IL. Schaller received a BS in 1948 from the University of Wisconsin. He went on to earn three Master of Science degrees, including his MS in City Planning.