Award Honorees

Dr. Michael Clark Steiner ‘65 has left a legacy of excellence in the field of American studies. His pioneering work as a professor and department chair at California State University—Fullerton, as well as his numerous scholarly contributions at the national and international level, truly distinguish Steiner as one of the foremost leaders in his field.

Minnetonka High School was a place of vast learning and inspiration for Steiner, enabling him to dive deep into his interest in literature, history and the social sciences. He also first explored cross country and track at MHS, kickstarting a highly successful athletic career.

“I was incredibly fortunate to have gifted teachers at MHS who encouraged and inspired me,” said Steiner. “They gave me a strong academic foundation, a thirst for knowledge, an ability to express ideas and a realization of the sheer joy of running and pride of achievement in cross country and track.”

Steiner went on to set several records as a runner at Carleton College, while pursuing an undergraduate degree in English. After earning his MA and PhD in American studies at the University of Minnesota, he achieved a tenure-track professorship at California State University—Fullerton.

“I was drawn to the idea and practice of interdisciplinarity—of bringing together the insights of literature, history, folklore, geography and culture studies into my work as a teacher and scholar. I could combine them all to provide a broad image of American culture,” Steiner said.

As a professor for more than 40 years at both the graduate and undergraduate level, Steiner taught a diverse array of courses and seminars centering around American folk culture, regionalism, and architecture. He eventually became the chair and graduate coordinator of the American Studies Department. His contributions transformed the program and expanded it to five times the size, drawing in students from all over the world.

“Teaching for 40 years in southern California widened my awareness of cultural diversity and the powerful contributions of immigrants from Asia, Mexico and Latin America, as well the profound impact of African Americans on American culture. In all of my classes and seminars, I strongly urge my students to look at their culture with a critical eye. The term I use is ‘critical affection,’ seeing the flaws and shortcomings in order to do all that we can to overcome them and patiently make our [world] better and better,” said Steiner.

Steiner has published five books and more than 30 articles and book chapters on American Studies topics, including two award-winning essays focusing on the American frontier. Some of his longer works include Mapping American Culture and an in-progress book tentatively entitled The Midwestern Foundation of American Regionalism, 1890-1945. In 2006, he was honored with the American Studies Association’s Mary C. Turpie Award, which recognizes outstanding achievement in teaching, advising and program building. Most notably, he was awarded two Distinguished Fulbright Chair awards in 1988 and 2004. The honors involved an invitation to teach American studies to students in Hungary and Poland, respectively.

“Students today need to have a broad background in a number of fields and disciplines, as well as a specialized career focus. This provides more flexibility and adaptability in a work world that is constantly in flux. But, this is just the beginning.”