Industry Loses Longtime Printing Industry Steward, Dr. Harvey R. Levenson

Dr. Harvey R. Levenson

The printing industry lost one of its greatest stewards. Dr. Harvey R. Levenson, age 83, of Pismo Beach, California, has died. A longtime educator, author, consultant, speaker, and industry expert witness, Harvey served as professor emeritus and past head of the Graphic Communication Department at Cal Poly University in San Luis Obispo, California. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he retired from Cal Poly after a 30-year tenure there — the longest ongoing tenure of a department head or chair in the history of the university.

Levenson simultaneously directed the Graphic Communication Institute (GrCI) while at Cal Poly. The Institute focuses on industry research, testing, product evaluations, consulting, training, seminars, workshops, conferences, and publishing.

“The Graphic Communication Department was his legacy, and he was truly instrumental in shaping the department into what it is today: the top-ranking college program,” pointed out Colleen Larkin Twomey, Cal Poly professor and Graphic Communication Department chair, in a letter notifying advisory board members of Levenson’s passing.

“His commitment to student success was unwavering — he worked tirelessly to establish scholarships, build industry relationships, and secure the resources and equipment our students needed to thrive.

“To say that Harvey's impact in industry was huge is an understatement,” Twomey added. “Harvey knew everyone! He built relationships and connected people. Even after his retirement of 30 years at Cal Poly, he continued to author books, articles, and contribute to the industry. He mentored thousands of people and helped as many in their careers ‘behind the scenes.’”

Outpouring of Admiration and Respect

Upon learning of his death, several other industry leaders have been quick to recognize Harvey Levenson’s industry contributions. “Dr. Harvey Levenson was the quintessential teacher — he was always learning. And he passed that learning on to his students and his industry,” praised fellow longtime educator and friend Frank Romano, professor emeritus at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and president of the Museum of Printing in Haverhill, Massachusetts.

“Harvey and the printing industry were indistinguishable. He volunteered for innumerable associations and trade groups, and shared his knowledge with everyone,” Romano added. “His books, articles, and his students will keep his memory alive. He truly made a difference.”

Ford Bowers, CEO of PRINTING United Alliance, was similarly complimentary of Levenson’s industry commitment. “Few surpassed Harvey in his enthusiasm and knowledge of the printing industry,” Bowers said. “His decades of academic service — guiding and inspiring generations of students, made him not only an emeritus professor, but an emeritus historian and one of the most extraordinary benefactors of an industry he loved and served so long.”

Jules Van Sant, executive director of Two Sides North America and vice chair of the Print and Graphics Scholarship Foundation (PGSF), first met Harvey 20 years ago as executive director of the Pacific Printing Industry Association. “We had an endowment that the association sponsored at Cal Poly that needed to gather momentum and be used to support the students,” she explained.

“His connections, can-do attitude, and willingness to support the work that I was doing was invaluable. I would argue to say that my deep passion for graphic communication education and ultimately, work that I do with the Print and Graphics Scholarship Foundation, were nurtured from this relationship. Harvey’s impact was wide, his passion endless, and his loss goes deep — what a legacy,” Van Sant said.

Most recently, Van Sant has been working on the vision and future updates to the “Introduction to Graphic Communication” textbook, which deploys Ricoh’s Clickable Paper interactive technology, that Levenson co-authored with John Parsons.

In 2017, Levenson and Parsons collaborated on the reinvention of Harvey’s 2007 “Introduction to Graphic Communication” textbook. “It was a turning point in my career as a writer,” Parsons points out. “His wisdom, kindness, wry humor, and relentlessness helped so many of us become better communicators — from students to industry colleagues, to anyone who would listen. The graphic communication industry is better for his life's work, and I am better for the privilege of his friendship.”

Co-authors of Introduction to Graphic Communication, John Parsons and Harvey Levenson, exhibited customized versions of Clickable Paper training books at PRINTING United Expo in 2019.

A Well-Educated Educator

Levenson holds four degrees in printing and communication, including a Ph.D. in rhetoric and communication from the University of Pittsburgh, an M.S. in printing management from South Dakota State University, a B.S. in printing from the RIT, and an A.A.S. in graphic arts and advertising technology from New York City College of Technology.

Prior to joining Cal Poly in 1983, Harvey founded and chaired the Division of Graphics, Design, and Communication at La Roche College in Pittsburgh, before which he was Associate Director of Technical Services for the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation. (GATF merged with Printing Industries of America (PIA) and is now part of PRINTING United Alliance, the largest graphic arts association in the world.)

Harvey was an active member of the Ben Franklin Honor Society (BFHS), where he organized the compilation and publishing of three "Book of Wisdom" editions. They featured essays written by several BFHS honorees on how they achieved success and fulfillment in business and, often, life in general.

Recipient of Numerous Awards

For his work in education and industry, Levenson has received the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation Education Council “Award of Excellence”; the U.S. Government Publishing Office  (GPO) “Distinguished Service Award”; and the “Technical Association of the Graphic Arts Dr. Harvey R. Levenson Student Paper Award.” In 2004, he was also named “Educator of the Year” by Printing Industries Association of Southern California (PIASC) and received the Jack Simich Educator of the Year Award. He was also the 2004 recipient of the TAGA Honors Award, and received the New York City College of Technology Gamma Epsilon Tau Golden Key Award, among several other industry awards and honor society inductions.

Additionally, a Cal Poly endowment, “The Dr. Harvey R. Levenson Excellence in Graphic Communication Endowment,” was established in his name when he retired from Cal Poly (here is a link to those who may want to contribute in his name) and he was the 2013 recipient of the Frederick D. Kagy Life Achievement Award from the International Graphic Arts Education Association.

Harvey Levenson is survived by his wife, Barbara, and two sons. At press time, his wife told Printing Impressions that a funeral won’t be held and a celebration of life has not yet been finalized. She also noted how her son Mark and her are challenged about what to include in Harvey’s obituary — especially given a seemingly endless list of his lifetime accomplishments and decades of service to others.

Although small in stature, Harvey Levenson left large footprints that benefitted the entire printing industry. He will be missed, but his legacy lives on.