Dr. Francis (Frank) Sistrunk's Obituary
Francis (Frank) Sistrunk, PhD (88), born on May 29th, 1934, passed away on October 29th, 2022, in Clearwater, Florida.
He is preceded in death by his wife, Margaret W. Sistrunk, daughter Laura Lee Norman, parents Julius & Nell Sistrunk, and brother Dr. George Sistrunk. He is survived by his 3 grandchildren, Heather Norman, Shane Long, and Hope Long.
After graduating from Plant High School, he went to Vanderbilt University as a midshipman on an NROTC scholarship, where he was president of Kappa Alpha Order fraternity and graduated in 1957.
Commissioned into the United States Marine Corps, he served three years, reaching the rank of Captain.
Back to graduate school on scholarship to the University of Miami, he received his MA and PhD in Organizational Psychology in 1963, being a member of Phi Kappa Phi honor society.
He then joined the firm of Human Sciences Research in Washington, DC area where he was a consultant to the State Department, Department of Defense, Organization of American States, and many others.
Returning to academia, he was a professor of psychology at Texas Tech University and then the University of South Florida in 1965. He served as Chair of Psychology Department, Director of the Center for Evaluation Research, and started the graduate program in Industrial-Organizational Psychology. He had a two-year tour at the Board of Regents of the State University System as Director of Social Sciences and Business Administration where he managed the initiation of the University of South Florida into doctoral level graduate programs.
He retired from USF in 1993 with over 100 publications, over two million in research grants, over 100 consultantships to government and business, the Krivanee Distinguished Teacher Award, and life membership on the USF President's Council.
He was an avid boater and lover of the ocean. He was the captain of 3 vessels of his own, which he loved to be on. After retirement, he became a farmer of an orange grove, where he loved to ride his tractor.
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