Professor Emeritus Elmer Clawson, a beloved mentor and national leader in economics education, died April 27 at the age of 90.

Known as “Moke” to his friends and colleagues, Clawson taught in University of the Pacific’s School of Education, now Benerd College, from 1974-96. He was known not just for his expertise but for his deep commitment to mentoring young educators.

“Dr. Elmer Clawson was a mentor to me with an emphasis on caring, guidance and support,” said Professor Emerita Harriett Arnold. “When I arrived at Pacific, he was a senior professor who led by example and empowered me. As a brand-new assistant professor, he had a long-lasting impact on my professional career.”

His commitment to students and faculty earned him the university’s Distinguished Faculty Award and its highest honor, the Order of Pacific.

“He selflessly provided so much advice on teacher education ... He was always highly positive, open to helping me and all others,” said Professor Emerita Marilyn Draheim. “He was a happy man who loved his work, colleagues, students, friends, and his family and beloved wife, Rasheeda.”

During his tenure, he held numerous leadership roles including professor, department chair, associate dean and acting dean.

Clawson was instrumental in establishing the university’s Center for the Development of Economics Education, which operated from 1975-95 and helped Pacific gain national recognition for its work with K-12 economics curriculum. The center was “a vital part of my Pacific experience,” he later recalled in a 2009 interview with the Emeriti Society.

As part of his work at the center, Clawson helped develop a textbook and teacher’s guide called “Our Economy: How It Works,” as well as a curriculum guide to introduce economics concepts to young students.

“His textbook presented a series of case studies to present economics concepts in a meaningful and interesting manner to middle school students,” said Professor Emeritus Dennis Brennan. “The effectiveness of the instructional validity of the textbook was established through a nationwide pre and posttest of student economics knowledge. His work made a significant contribution to economics education in the United States.”

Clawson received the Award for Excellence in Private Enterprise Education from the Freedom Foundation at Valley Forge for his work with the center. The California Congress of Parents and Teachers also awarded him an honorary lifetime membership.

Before coming to Pacific, he served as an assistant professor at Virginia Tech and later returned to San Joaquin County—where he was born and raised—to work as an elementary school teacher and principal.

Even after retirement, Clawson continued mentoring. He joined the Big Brothers program and developed a lasting bond with an eighth-grade boy he mentored through high school.
“Big Brothers is a great program, and the idea of changing the world one child at a time had great appeal to me,” Clawson said in a 2009 interview. He was named San Joaquin County’s Big Brother of the Year in 2002.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in school administration from California State University, Sacramento. He then earned a master’s degree in economics from University of Colorado and a doctorate in science education from the University of Georgia.

Clawson is survived by his wife Rasheeda, his daughter Tai Flynn, stepsons Mark Riddlesperger and Michael Riddlesperger and two grandchildren.