Abstract J. William Rioux was the president of the Merrill-Palmer Institute from 1967-1973, prior to which he worked for the U.S. Department of Education. He was a native of Detroit and received his Ed. D. at Wayne State University. During his time at Merrill-Palmer he worked to diversify the student body, establish a graduate degree program, work with urban youth, and bring more students into the program. He also emphasized dissemination and publication of research by Merrill-Palmer faculty and...

Abstract The Merrill-Palmer Institute was founded in 1920 by an endowment from Lizzie Merrill Palmer. Throughout its 61years of independent operation, the Institute was greatly respected and internationally known as one of the top institutions for education, training and research in Child Development. Merrill-Palmer staff conducted and published studies on families and children, operated a nursery school, children’s camps and clubs, offered marriage and family counseling, and performed community service...