Arthur (ANDY) HORNE
Robert K. Conyne & Lynn S. Rapin
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Arthur Arthur (Andy) M. Horne, Ph.D., Research Emeritus Professor and Dean at the University of Georgia, was born November 26, 1942 and passed away unexpectedly of complications from open heart surgery, on August 26, 2024. Those in the Society of Group Psychology and Group Psychotherapy (APA, 49) who had the distinct honor of knowing and sharing time with Andy, as well as those who had never met him but were aware of his boundless contributions, mourn deeply.
We are deeply honored to be asked by Tom Treadwell, Newsletter editor, to write this tribute about Andy. We are aware that, when thinking about Andy, it is impossible to disconnect him from collegial relationships, as he was a uniquely collaborative professional. Therefore, we hope to also represent in this statement so many other Division 49 colleagues who were strongly connected to him, such as Janice Delucia, Maria Riva, George Gazda. and Jean Keim. Of course, Andy’s reach extended beyond our Division, more on that below, and we think of those colleagues, too, such as: Pamela Orpinas, John Romano, Sally Hage, Maureen Kenny, Alicia Homrich, Lenoir Gilliam, Mike Andronico, Dave Jolliff, and too many others to mention (we apologize for unintended omissions).
The following link presents an all-inclusive commentary Andy’s life and work was beautifully written by his daughter, Sharon Horne (herself a well-known psychologist).
Andy was a light-hearted pioneer and explorer throughout his professional career. A groundbreaker who went about his life and business filled not only with purpose, dedication, and accomplishment but, also, with happiness, a loving smile, and kindness.
His many impressive accomplishments and awards (some of which we will highlight below), however, in many ways paled in relation to his humanity and concerns for equity, civility, and social justice. He touched and made a difference in the lives of thousands of persons and communities. Amy Nitza, a former student of Andy and currently Executive Director of the Institute for Disaster Mental Health, heartbroken by the news of his death, reflected what countless others feel:
“…Andy was a wise and inspiring mentor to me. Being in his presence just made me want to stand up a little straighter and be a little better. What a big impact he left on the world.”
In fact, he left his fingerprints all over the Department of Counseling and Human Development Services (Department Head, director of training) and College of Education (Dean) at the University of Georgia, and on several professional associations, including Division 49 (President), the Society of Counseling Psychology (President) and its Prevention Section, the Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinities (APA 51), and the Association for Specialists in Group Work (ASGW, President and Journal editor), a division of the American Counseling Association.
He was a prolific scholar, co-authoring 11 books and many articles, and he directed grants in violence reduction, bullying prevention, teaching children at risk, and strengthening families, totaling millions of dollars. His Bully Busters project, for instance, has received high praise and emulation, and is widely considered to have made a substantial difference in the world.
All of these efforts incorporated group-based prevention as a major theme. In fact, as Maureen Kenny, a colleague in the Prevention Section of Division 17 shared, “Andy was a pillar of prevention.” And as Nina Brown, a past-president of our Division and colleague noted, “I remember how much Andy gave to the organization (49) and I appreciated his wisdom.” I (Bob) was honored to collaborate closely with Andy on various projects involving groups and prevention, both within and outside of the Division, resulting in several articles, presentations, and books. Moreover, through all our professional and personal involvements with Andy, Lynn and I can attest to Nina Brown’s emphasis on his wisdom, a quality that he brought to all his work and relationships.
Andy received many significant awards hailing his work, including the American Psychological Association Lifetime Contributions to Preventive Psychology Award, the ASGW Eminent Career Award, the APA Counseling Psychology Social Justice Award, and perhaps most pertinent to our Society, the Arthur Teicher Group Psychologist of the Year Award (2011).
Of course, any mention of Andy must roam beyond his professional accomplishments to focus on his family, to whom he was dedicated. His wife, Gayle, and he were life partners for nearly 60 years. Gayle is a well-known person, friend, and support to countless students and colleagues of Andy. Sharon, his daughter, is a professor of distinction at the University of Massachusetts-Boston; Kevin, his son, now explores the country by RV. His brother, Charles and wife live in Florida,and his four grandchildren were central to Andy and Gayle’s attention, care, and joy.
As Andy was a pioneer and explorer professionally, he and Gayle traveled extensively for decades, both within and external to the United States. We were pleased to travel in Europe with them and their friends Dave and Sandy Jolliff, following a convention of the European Counseling Association, a yearly event for Dave and Andy for decades. The last big trip of Andy and Gayle was to wander together through France last May. Just before his passing, Sharon reported they spent time as a family vacationing on Cape Cod.
And so it goes. Like others who were fortunate to circle in Andy’s orbit, we are reeling from his death. But we are so fortunate to have known, worked, and hung out with him. We realize he made humanity and the world a much better place and will always remember with deep respect his appreciation of life and people.
