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ThomasP.HébertisprofessorofeducationalpsychologyintheCollegeofEducationattheUniversityofGeorgiainAthenswhereheteachesgraduatecoursesingiftededucationandqualitativeresearchmethods.AlexanderR.Pagnaniisadoctoralstudentineducationalpsychology–giftedandcreativeeducationattheUniversityofGeorgiainAthens.DanielR.Hammondearnedhismaster’sdegreeineducationalpsychology–giftedandcreativeeducationattheUniversityofGeorgia.HeisadoctoralstudentincounselingpsychologyattheUniversityofKansasinLawrence,KS.
Journal for the Education of the Gifted.Vol.33,No.2,2009,pp.241–274.Copyright©2009PrufrockPressInc.,http://www.prufrock.com
An Examination of Paternal Influence on High-Achieving Gifted Males
Thomas P. Hébert Alexander R. Pagnani
The University of Georgia
Daniel R. Hammond The University of Kansas
the challenges facing contemporary boys are complex, highlighting the importance of positive paternal influence for young men to achieve success. this study examines the father-son relationships of 10 prominent gifted men of achievement to identify factors influencing talent development. through biographical analysis, 6 significant themes were identified: unconditional belief in son, strong work ethic, encouragement and guidance, maintaining high expectations and fostering determination, pride in son’s accomplishments, and mutual admiration and respect. implications for parents and educators of high-achieving gifted males are discussed.
“Myfatherdidn’ttellmehowtolive;helivedandletmewatchhimdoit.”—ClarenceKelland (Lyons&Lyons,2002,p.44)
Itisachallengingtime tobeaboyinthiscountry.Suchisthemes-sageheraldedintoday’spopularpress (Sommers,2000a;Tyre,2006),andbookstoreshelvesareresplendentwithrecentlypublishedbookscallingattentiontotheplightoftheyoungAmericanmale(e.g.,Neu&Weinfeld,2007).Psychologistsandgenderexpertsdebatewhetherornottheproblemsfacedbyboysaremoredifficultthanthosefacinggirls(Gurian,1996;Kindlon&Thompson,1999;Sommers,2000b),andeducatorsclaimthatthedestructiveeffectsofsociety’sfailure
Journal for the Education of the Gifted242
torecognizeboys’emotionalneedsarebecomingevidentinschool(Pollack,1998).Areviewofstatisticsfromanystateinthenationoranyindividualschooldistrictprovidesevidenceoftheproblemsthatyoungmalesexperienceinourschools.Anexaminationofanygradelevel,socioeconomicgroup,orraceclearlyindicatesthatboysarenotperformingaswellasgirls(Neu&Weinfeld,2007). Whileconcernsaboutboysarebecomingpartofthenationalconversation,aparallelphenomenonisevolving.Psychologists,edu-cational theorists, and sociologists are noting that fatherhood inAmericaischanging(Balcom,2002).Economic,political,andsocialinfluencesarereshapingtherolefathersplayinthedevelopmentoftheirchildren,whilereligious,political,andculturalleaderscallforincreasedpaternalinvolvementinboys’lives. Althoughthedialogueregardingtheproblemsfacingboysandtheroletheirfathersshouldplayintheirlivescontinues,littleatten-tion isbeingdrawnto issuesspecifically facinggiftedyoungmen.Whilenumerousresearchersingiftededucationhaveexaminedissuesfacinggiftedfemales,researchaddressingthedevelopmentalissuesofgiftedmalesis limited.Thebodyofresearchongiftedmalesindi-catesanumberofpsychosocialissuescentraltotheirdevelopment,includingidentity,beliefinself,psychologicalandrogyny,emotionalsensitivity,empathy(Hébert,2000a,2000b;Wilcove,1998),andlim-itationsoftraditionalmasculinity(Kerr&Cohn,2001).Severalofthesesameissueshavealsobeenexaminedinculturallydiversegiftedmales(Hébert,1996,2002;Kao&Hébert,2006). Asresearchersandeducatorsexaminetheneedsofmalesinthiscountry,itiscriticalthatwealsoinvestourenergyinaddressingthespecificneedsofgiftedmales.Asindicatedbythelimitedresearchavailableonthispopulation,morestudiesareneededtogainabetterunderstandingoftheintellectualandpsychosocialissuesfacinggiftedmales.Moreover,studiesfocusingonparentinggiftedmalesarealsonecessaryinordertodevelopappropriateinterventions.Thefollowingstudyexaminingpaternalinfluenceonhigh-achievinggiftedmalesisanattempttoaddressthiscriticalgapintheliterature.
Paternal Influence 243
Review of Related Literature
Researchonparent-childrelationshipshastypicallyfocusedontheroleofthemother,andthereislittledoubtthatthisrelationshipcanbeoneofthemostsignificantfactorsinhealthychilddevelopment.Lessattentionhasbeenfocused,however,ontheroleofthefatherandtheinfluenceofhisparentalstyle,attitudes,andbehavior.Astheboyprogressesthroughchildhoodandadolescence,researchhasindicatedthatcontinuedpaternalinvolvementcanbeapowerfulpredictorofpositiveoutcomes.Veneziano(2003)contendedthatpaternalwarmthisastrongpredictorofsuccessfulfunctioningforchildren,possiblyevenmorethanmaternalwarmth.Fathersalsoplayanimportantroleinthedevelopmentofreadingabilitiesfortheirchildren(Herb&Willoughby-Herb,1998),andbothparents’involvementandcom-mitmenttoachievementispositivelyassociatedwiththechild’ssuc-cessinadolescence(Paulson,1994).Astrongbondwithbothmotherandfatherthroughchildhoodmaybeassociatedwithmoreaffec-tionateandpositiverelationshipswithpartnerslaterinlife(Moeller,2001).Fatherswhoactivelyparticipateinparentingarealsoabletohelptheirsonsdevelopempathy,regardlessoftheirownlevelofempa-thy(Bernadett-Shapiro,Ehrensaft,&Shapiro,1996).Intheircom-prehensivereviewofresearchonfatherhood,Marsiglio,Amato,Day,andLamb(2000)reportedthatmoststudiesoffathersintwo-parenthouseholdsindicatedthatpaternalinvolvementwasrelatedtopositivechildoutcomessuchasschoolsuccess,lowerinstancesofbehavioraloremotionalproblems,andpositivesocialbehaviors. Additionalinsightsintothefather-sonrelationshipresultedfromthe scholarship of DeKlyen, Speltz, and Greenberg (1998). Theseresearchersnotedthatfatherscouldinfluencetheirsonsgreatlybyaidingingenderidentitydevelopment,modelingcorrectbehaviors,andapplyingbeneficialdisciplinarymodelsratherthanfear-produc-ingmethods.Intheirexaminationoffatheringstyles,theresearch-ersconductedobservationsofmaleyouths’reactionstotheirfamiliesas theyenteredandexitedrooms.Afterclassifyingeachresponse,cross-referencingwasdonewiththeboy’sclinicaldatatodeterminewhetherhehadbeenreferredforbehavioraldifficulties.Boyswhowereinsecurelyattachedtoeitherparentwerefivetimesmorelikelytobeclinic-referred.DeKlyen,Speltz,andGreenbergconcludedthat
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increasedpaternalinvolvementnotonlyhelpstopreventconductdis-orders,butalsosupportsrecoveryfromthem. Researchershavealsohighlightedthatthepresenceandinvolve-mentoffathersisofutmostimportanceforculturallydiverseado-lescentmales(Canada,1998;Rodney&Mupier,1999).AresearchteamofHrabowski,Maton.andGrief(1998)examinedfatherhoodintheAfricanAmericancommunity.TheseresearchersinterviewedfathersofsuccessfulAfricanAmericanmalesandidentifiedcommoncharacteristicsthatframedtheirparentingstyles.Amongthoseiden-tifiedwere:astressondiscipline,religion,andeducation;monitoringtheuseoftelevision,videogames,andmedia;carefulattentionpaidtoson’sfriendsandpeers;anemphasisonacademicgradesandtalentdevelopment;strictdisciplinarymeasuresforbreakingfamilyrules,butwithoutphysicalpunishment;andopendiscussiononthetopicsofsexanddrugs. Morerecently,MormanandFloyd(2006)conductedresearchinwhichtheyfacilitatedindependentsurveys,thefirstwithapopula-tionoffathersandthesecondwithapopulationoffather-sonduos.Ineachofthesurveys,participantsrespondedtothequestion“Whatdoesitmeantobeagoodfather?”Resultsindicatedthatfathersandsonshadrelativelysimilarconceptsofgoodfathers,namingthesametraitsbutinslightlydifferentorders.Theleadingtraitsacrossallthreegroupswerecharacteristicssuchaslove,availability,rolemodeling,involvement,andsupport. Althoughsignificantpaternalinvolvementisassociatedwithanumberofpositiveoutcomesforchildren,studieshavealsoindicatedthatalackofinvolvementisrelatedtoanumberofnegativeoutcomes.Youngmenwhodonotreceiveadequateaffectionfromfathersmaybemorelikelytoexperiencefeelingsofrejectionandunhappiness(Mussen,Young,Gaddini,&Morante,1963),whilesonsoffatherswhoarealtogetherabsenttendtohavelowerself-esteemthantheirpeers(Balcom,2002).Inaddition,paternalabsencehasbeenshowntobeastrongpredictorofviolenceandviolentcrimeinmales,evenmoresothanpoverty(Mackey&Mackey,2003). With the importance of paternal involvement understood,researchershaveconsideredthefactorsinfluencingafather’slevelofinvolvementwithhischildren.FlouriandBuchanan(2003)foundavarietyoffactorsthattendtoimprovepaternalinvolvementincluding
Paternal Influence 245
highereducationlevels,spendinglesstimeatwork,andcomplemen-tary maternal involvement. Regarding factors that contributed tolessenedpaternalinvolvement,theresearchersnotedemotionalandbehavioralproblemsofthesonsaswellasdomestictension. Thelate1990ssawthepublicationofseveralbooksonparentingboys.Thisresultedfromanumberofpsychologistsbecominginter-estedinexaminingboys’culturetodetermineitsinfluenceonlaterproblems.Drawingfromhisclinicalexperience,psychologistMichaelGurian(1996)proposedafour-stepmodelof“healthyfatherhood.”Thefirststepwasinvolvementwiththeinfantsonfromtheearliestpossibleopportunity.Thesecondpracticeinvolvedthefatherestab-lishingastable,positiveidentityinthecommunity.Thenextstepwasforamantocommunicateasenseofheritageandtraditiontohisson,whileallowinghimtoforgeaseparateidentityoverall.Finally,thefatherneededtolearntheprocessof“lettinggo”andunderstandthatthetransitionfromboyhoodtomanhoodrequiredincreasingindependenceandrespect.Gurianexplained,“Bythetimethesonleaveshome,orsoonafter,thefather-sonrelationshipmustshifttoarelationshipbetweentwoadultmen—twoemotionalpeers,ofequalemotionalpower”(p.126). Psychologist William Pollack (1998) also contributed to theconversation regarding father-son relationships in this country.Indicatingthat“Fathersarenotmalemothers”(Pollack,1998,p.113),hesuggestedthatsocietyshouldembracetheuniquerolefather-hoodprovidesinaboy’sdevelopmentandhelpmentoexpandtheirparentingroleincomfortablymasculineways.Assomemenmayfeeluncomfortablediscussingtheirfeelings,Pollackproposedamodelof “love throughaction,”becausemenmaybeexcellentat subtlysharingtheirfeelingsthoughjointfather-sonactivities.Moreover,Pollackhighlightedthatmenmuststrivetoremainclosetotheirsonsthroughouttheirlives,notingthat“Boysareneverhurtbytoomuchlove!”(p.137).
Research Methods and Procedures
InspiredbyGoertzelandGoertzel’s(1962)biographicalexamina-tionofeminence,Simonton’s(1999)psychologicalstudyofeminent
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individuals,andMcGreevy’s(1990,1992)biographicalcasestudiesofeminentindividuals,wechosetopursueourquestionthroughabiographicalexaminationofthefather-sonrelationshipinthelivesofprominenthigh-achievinggiftedmales.Withthesemodelsasguidestodesigningourstudy,thefollowingresearchquestionguidedourinquiry:Whatfactorsinfather-sonrelationshipsinfluencethetalentdevelopmentofhigh-achievinggiftedmales?
Selection of Subjects
Webeganthestudywithacriticaldecisionto limitourexamina-tiontohigh-achievinggiftedmalesfromthebabyboomgeneration,bornbetween1946and1964.ThiswasdonebecausewerealizedthatfatherhoodinthiscountrypriortoWorldWarIIwassignificantlydifferentfromtheperiodfollowingthewar.Inasociologicalexamina-tionoffatherhoodinAmerica,Griswold(1993)paidcloseattentiontobabyboomfathers.Henotedthatduringthishistoricalperiod,althoughwomenremainedtheprimarycaregivertochildren,mentookonanewroleofusingpersonalinteractionandaffectionwithchildrentoinculcatepositivevalues.Newfatherswereencouragedtoremaintheprimarybreadwinnerandtraditionalfamilyleader,butalsotakeanunprecedentedactiveroleinaffectivechildrearing. Thesecondsignificantdecisioninplanningthestudywasourdeterminationtoexaminebiographiesofmaleswhoexperiencedposi-tiverelationshipswiththeirfathers.Realizingthatotherprominentmenofachievementhaveexperiencednegativefather-sonrelation-ships,andinmanycasesmayhavebeenraisedbyasinglemother,wechosetosavethatpopulationforaseparatefollow-upstudy.Athirdimportantdecisionindesigningthestudywasourchoiceofadefini-tionofgiftedness.WechoseRenzulli’s(1978)behavioralnotionofgiftednessrepresentedbyaninteractionamongabove-averageability,taskcommitment,andcreativitybroughttobearonsomedomainofhumanendeavor.WithRenzulli’slandmarkcreative-productivedefi-nitionofgiftedness,wewereabletoselectsubjectsfromavarietyofprofessionaldomainswhosecreativeproductivitywasevidentintheirsignificantcontributionstosociety. Withthesedecisionsmade,criterionsampling(Patton,2002)wasimplemented,wherebythesubjectshadtomeetsomepredetermined
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criterionofimportance.Thecriteriaforselectionofthe10subjectswereasfollows:(1)babyboomers,(2)male,(3)positivefather-sonrelationship,(4)evidenceofgiftedbehaviorintheircontributionstotheirprofessionaldomain,(5)nationalprominenceintheirprofes-sionaldomain,and(6)availabilityofbiographiesorautobiographies.The10prominenthigh-achievinggiftedmalesselectedforthestudyarepresentedinTable1.
Data Collection
Datacollectionoccurredthroughthreephases.Phase1consistedofsearchingforallavailablebiographiesandautobiographiesthroughtheInternet.Wescouredlibrariesandbookstorestoobtainmateri-als.Inaddition,weutilizedthestate’sinterlibraryloansystemandweresuccessfulinobtainingallofthebiographiesidentifiedinourInternetsearch.ThesecondphaseofourdatacollectioninvolvedanadditionalInternetsearch.Werealizedthatmanyofoursubjectshadbeeninterviewedandfeaturedinthepopularmedia;therefore,weusedtheInternettolocatearticlesfromnationalmagazinesandjour-nals.Thearticleswelocatedservedassecondarysourcesofbiographi-calmaterialandconfirmedthelifestoriespresentedinthepublishedbiographiesandautobiographies. When our search for all available materials was complete, wespentextensivetimereading.Wephotocopiedallofthepagesfromthebiographiesthatfeaturedanydiscussionofthefather-sonrela-tionship,andusedcoloredhighlightingmarkerstodrawattentiontospecificpassages.Thisextensivecollectionservedasourqualitativedataset.Thehighlightedpassageswereequivalenttotranscriptsfromtraditionalqualitativeinterviewstudies.
Data Coding and Analysis
Inductiveanalysisprocedureswereusedtoanalyzeandinterpretthedata.Thisprocessinvolvedmanagingdatathroughcoding,catego-rizingintothemes,anddeterminingrelationshipsamongthethemes(Huberman&Miles,1994).ThephotocopiedbiographicalmaterialswerecodedandanalyzedaccordingtothecodingprocessdescribedbyBogdanandBiklen(1998).Inthefirststageofanalysis,weexamined
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allbiographicalmaterialsbycombingthroughthedocumentsforcat-egoriesofphenomenaandforrelationshipsamongthosecategories.Codeswereorganizedwithphrasesthatidentifiedsimilarpatterns,themes,recurringideasorrelationships,andconsistenciesordiffer-encesbetweenandamongsegmentsofdata.Thisprocessofcoding
Table 1
Gifted Male Subject Descriptives
Subject Professional Field Major Achievement Father
Bart Conner Olympic Gold Medalist
International Gymnastics Hall of Fame Inductee
Harold Conner
John Edwards Former U.S. Senator, North Carolina
Presidential Candidate
Wallace Edwards
Franklin Graham Evangelical Minister President of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse
Rev. Billy Graham
Ron Howard Academy Award-Winning Director
Academy of Achievement Inductee
Rance Howard
Carl Lewis Olympic Track and Field Athlete, Nine-Time Gold Medalist
USA Track and Field Hall of Fame Inductee
Bill Lewis
Paul O’Neill Outfielder, Cincinnati Reds and N.Y. Yankees
Five-Time World Series Champion
Charles “Chick” O’Neill
Tim Russert Journalist, Political Commentator
Recipient of 29 Honorary Doctorate Degrees
Tim “Big Russ” Russert
Carlos Santana Pioneering Musician Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee
José Santana
Jerry Seinfeld Actor, Comedian Cocreator of the Most Widely Syndicated TV Sitcom in History
Kal Seinfeld
J. C. Watts, Jr. Former U.S. Congressman, Oklahoma
First African American to Serve in U.S. House Republican Leadership
J. C. “Buddy” Watts, Sr.
Paternal Influence 249
thedataintoequivalentcategoriesenabledustomanageandrecon-structmeaningfulcomponents(LeCompte,2000).Thesecondstageofanalysisinvolvedourexaminationofsingleinstancesinthedatatoderivetheirmeaning.Thisstrategyassistedusinbreakingupthedatainananalyticallymeaningfulwayandrequiredthatweraisefurtherquestionsaboutourdata(Coffey&Atkinson,1996). Inthethirdstageoftheanalysis,wedeterminedmeaningfulpat-ternsandconsistencybetweentwoormorethemeswithinthedata.Throughthisprocess,weestablishedgeneralizationsthatexplainedconsistenciesinthedata.Toconcludetheanalysis,ourgeneraliza-tionsabouttheexperiencesofthehigh-achievinggiftedmaleswerecontrastedwithpublishedliteratureongiftedindividuals. Ouranalysisprocesscanbeunderstoodthroughthefollowingexample.Inthefirststageofcoding,werecognizedsimilarpatterns,commonalities,orrecurringideasinthedatathatwerelabeledusingsuchtermsascoaching, discipline, advising, emotional support, teaching, listening,andguiding.Inoursecondstageofanalysis,wesearchedforsingleinstancesinthedataandnotedthatthebiographiesoftwosubjects,FranklinGrahamandCarlosSantana,describedperiodsinthelivesofthesemeninwhichtheybrokeawayfromtheirfamiliesduringearlyadulthoodastheyexperimentedwithanindependentlifestyledifferentfromthatoftheirfamilies.Asweraisedquestionsofthisdataandfurtherexaminedthelifestoriesofbothofthesemen,werealizedthatthefather-sonrelationshipremainedstrongduringthoseperiods.Werealizedthatwhatwasdescribedwasindeedconsis-tentwiththeothersubjectsinthestudyinthatGrahamandSantanaexperiencedastrongbondwiththeirfathersinspiteoftheirrebelliousexperimentation.Weconcludedouranalysisprocessbyestablishingconsistenciesbetweenseveralpatternsinourearliercoding.Inthefinalstageofanalysis,itbecameapparentthatrelationshipsexistedbetweenandamongtheseconcepts,andtheywereeventuallymergedintoacategorylabeledencouragement and guidance.
Findings
Thelivesofthe10subjectsincludedinthestudyfeaturedfather-sonrelationshipsincorporatingthefathers’unconditionalbeliefintheir
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sons.Thefathersofthemenprovidedencouragementandguidancewhilemaintaininghighexpectationsandfosteringdetermination.Theywereinspirationalastheymodeledastrongworkethicfortheirsons.Inaddition,thefather-sonrelationshipsincorporatedmutualadmirationandrespect,andthefathersconsistentlyexpressedprideintheirsons’accomplishments.
Unconditional Belief in Son
ThebiographicalmaterialsoncomedianJerrySeinfeldhighlightedthathisfatherrealizedearlyinJerry’sadolescencethathissonwasserious about becoming a comic. Biographers noted that KalmanSeinfeldhadanabsolutefaiththatJerrywouldbesuccessfulinhischosenfield.Accordingtomanyofhisoldfriends,Kalmanusedtosharewithvirtuallyeveryonehemet,“Hey,youshouldmeetmyson.He’saprettyfunnyguy”(Tracy,1998,p.21).Jerry’sfatherhaddevel-opedhisowneffectivecomicroutinethatenabledhimtobesuccessfulinsaleswork.Jerryexplainedhowthisinfluencedhisfather’sbeliefinhisson:
Mydadwasextremelyencouragingaboutit.Hewasasales-manandthat’sasimilartypeoflife.You’renotreallydoinganylegitimatekindofwork,you’rejustmakingalivingtalk-ingpeopleintothings.Thatisn’tmuchdifferentfromwhatacomicdoes.(Tracy,1998,p.21)
KalmanSeinfeldsawthesimilaritybetweenhimselfandhissonandunderstoodhowtobe supportive. Jerrydescribed that thereweremanytimeshewoulddriveintoManhattanatmidnighthopingtobeinvitedtoperforminoneofthecomedyclubs.Hewouldhangoutuntil3inthemorningwaitingtogoonstageonlytofacethedis-appointmentofnotperforming.Duringthesedifficultperiods,hisfatherremainedconfidentinhisson.Jerryexplained,“I’dgethomeatfour-thirtydepressed,anddadwouldwakeupandcomeintothekitchen,sitthereandtalktomeaboutit”(Tracy,1998,p.21). TheevangelistFranklinGrahamexperiencedasimilaruncon-ditional support from his father, the renowned Billy Graham.Throughouthisearlyadulthood,Franklinstruggledwithlivingintheshadowofa“largerthanlife”fatheraswellasdecidingwhetherhe
Paternal Influence 251
wouldfollowaChristianlifestyle.Heunderwentalongperiodofado-lescentrebellionandsearchingandeventuallychosetofollowChrist.Inhisautobiography,FranklinGrahamexplainedtheunconditionalqualityofhisfather’sconfidenceashedescribedhisfather’spoignantmessagetohimduringalowpointinhisidentitysearch:
You’regoingtohavetomakeachoiceeithertoacceptChristortorejecthim.Youcan’tcontinuetoplaythemiddleground...Iwantyoutoknowthatwe’reproudofyou,Franklin.Weloveyounomatterwhatyoudoinlifeandnomatterwhereyougo...Thedoorofourhomeisalwaysopen,andyou’realwayswelcome.Butyou’regoingtohavetomakeachoice.(Graham,1995,p.120)
In a world far removed from evangelical ministry, the giftedmusician Carlos Santana underwent a period of searching paral-leltoFranklinGraham’s.Santana’sfatherJoséwasalsoamusicianandheandCarlossharedaspecialrelationship.Santana’sbiographerdescribed,“JoséfeltinhisheartofheartsthatCarloswasdestinedforbiggerthingsthanthedustyroadsandsimpleliveslivedbythepeopleinAutlándeNavarro”(Shapiro,2000,p.15)andexplainedthattherewasa“near-psychicbond”thatformedbetweenfatherandson. Throughouthisschoolingyears,CarlosSantanaunderachievedacademicallyashefocusedonhisteenagedreamofbecomingaleg-endaryrockmusician.JoséSantana,anestablishedmariachibandmusician, was often able to offer his son performance opportuni-tiesplayingviolinorguitar inaband.Carlos,however,wasmorefocusedonthemusicalworldoftheburgeoninghippiedistrictinSanFrancisco.AlthoughCarlos’motherwasincreasinglyunhappywithhisfriendsandlifestyle,JoséSantanaremainedconvincedthathissonwouldultimatelyfindhisway. WhenCarlosmovedoutofthehousefollowingaparticularlyuglyfightwithhismother,Josécreatedajobforhissonasaguitar-ist inhisweekendgigs.EventuallyCarlosceasedcontactwithhisfamily for a 2-year period. During this time, his parents receivedsecondhandreportsofCarlosplayingguitarthroughouttheHaight-Ashburydistrict.Notknowingthetruth,Joséalwaystriedtokeepapositivespinonthosereports,asheremainedconvincedthathissonwouldsoonsettledown.EventuallyCarlosreunitedwithhisfamily
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ashewassettoplayinamajormusicalshowinSanFrancisco.Hisbiographerexplained,“ForCarlos,theisolationfromhisfamilyhadbeenaboutpride.Hehadnoaccomplishmentstoholduptothemanddidnotwanttoappearafailureintheireyes”(Shapiro,2000,p.63).AstheSantanaBluesBand’sreputationgrewexponentially,hefeltcomfortableenoughtoreturntohisfamilyandtheypraisedhisaccomplishments. Professional baseball player Paul O’Neill was grateful for thestrongfaithhisfathermaintainedinhimaswell.Hisfather’suncon-ditionalbeliefinhissonwasevidentearlyoninhislifeandremainedwith him throughout his athletic career. As a high school senior,O’Neillwasfacedwiththedifficultdecisionofwhetherheshouldpursueacollegedegreeorentertheworldofprofessionalbaseballfol-lowinghishighschoolgraduation.Turningtohisfatherforadvice,hisdadassuredhimthatitwashispersonaldecisiontomake.SeveralyearslaterPaulO’Neillstruggledtoovercomearatherlongslumpinhiscareer.Hequestionedwhetherheshouldleavebaseball.Duringthisdifficulttime,hereceivedahandwrittenletterfromhisfather,furtherevidenceofhisunconditionalbeliefinhisson.Pauldescribedtheimportanceofthatletter:
Readinghiswordsoffthepage,itwasalmostasifhewasphysicallythere,puttinghisarmaroundme,energizingmewiththewilltocarryon,continuingwithhispeptalkabouthowIwashissonandIwasnotgoingtoquitandhowIwasnevergoingtoquit...WhenIputtheletteraway,asubtleshifthadtakenplaceinside,givingmeasenseofcertaintythatthiswasnottheendofmybaseballride.Iresolvedtogiveitonemorego,forthesakeofmyselfandformyfamily.(O’Neill&Rocks,2003,p.70)
TheOlympicathleteCarlLewisfoundthesameemotionalsup-port from his father. As an internationally recognized track star,Carl’scareerwasspottedwithperiodsinwhichhisperformanceandpersonalstylewereoftencriticizedinthemedia.ForCarl,suchcriti-cismwaschallenging,asLewisnotedinhisautobiographythathisfatherhadtaughthimandhissiblingstoalwaysdowhattheybelievedwasright.Hisfatherencouragedhimtomaintainhispersonalconvic-tionsandconducthimselfaccordingly.Followingthe1984Olympics,
Paternal Influence 253
whenseveral sports journalistswerebroadcastingnegativereportsaboutLewis,hisfathercounseledhim:“You’renotdoinganythingwrong,Carl.Youhaven’tdoneanythingtohurtanybody.You’renotbad-mouthinganybody.You’renotmistreatinganyone.Notdoinganyofthatstuff.You’redoingjustfine”(Lewis&Marx,1990,p.99).Hisfather’sunconditionalsupportandbeliefinhissonwasreinforcedfurtherasheencouragedCarlto“Beyourself,anddon’tworryaboutwhat’sgoingonaroundyou.Everything isgoingto turnaround”(Lewis&Marx,1990,p.99).
Strong Work Ethic
Thefathersofthemeninthestudywereindustriousmenwithstrongworkethics.Althoughseveralofthemwerenotwelleducated,theyallworkedveryhardtoprovidefortheirfamiliesandtheytriedtoinstillthisphilosophicalviewofhardworkwithintheirchildren.TimRussert’sfather,whohadnotgraduatedfromhighschool,wasasanitationworkerduringthedayandmaintainedasecondjobdeliv-eringbundlesofnewspapersfortheBuffalo Evening News.Russertdescribedhisfather’sapproachtohissituation:
Allthroughmychildhood,andwellbeyondit,BigRusshelddowntwodemandingjobs.Butashardashelaboredandaslongashetoiled,weneverheardasinglecomplaintabouthisheavyworkloadorthesacrificehewasmaking.Hedidn’ttalkaboutit;hejustgotitdone.Andifhehadtotakeathirdjobtosupporthiswifeandfourkids,hewouldhavedonethattoo...LikesomanymembersofthestrongsilentgenerationofmenwhogrewupduringtheGreatDepressionandwentofftowar,hehadlearnedlongagothatlifewashardandnothingwashandedtoyou.Infact,Dadconsidereditasignofsuccess,andevenablessingthathewasabletoholddowntwojobs.Hecouldrememberatimewhenamanconsideredhimselffortunatetohaveevenone.(Russert,2004,p.60)
Russert’srespectforhisfather’sworkethicwasevidencedwhenhewrote,“Hewasneverembarrassedaboutbeingagarbageman,andevenwhenhistitlewasForemanoftheStreetsDivision,everybody
Journal for the Education of the Gifted254
knewwhatthatmeant.Becausehewasproudofhiswork,Iwasproudofhimfordoingit”(Russert,2004,p.69). PaulO’Neill’sfatheralsohelddownmorethanonejobtoprovideforhisfamily,asaconstructionworkerwhoplowedsnoweverywinterinordertomakefinancialendsmeet.O’Neill’sadmirationforhistirelessfatherisreflectedinthefollowingpassage:
Afterlongdemandinghoursofwork—oftenwithstressfuldeadlines,jugglingdifferentjobsites,gettingdustyanddirty,dealingwithtasksthatwerephysicallytaxingandemotion-allychallenging—insteadofstumblinghomeandcollapsingintoaneasychair,hesawhisreturntohisfamilyasthebegin-ningofhisrealday.Dadcamehomereadytoplay,notreadytorest.(O’Neill&Rocks,2003,p.21)
JohnEdwardsfoundinspirationinhisfather’sexperienceinthetextileindustryinNorthCarolina.Hisadmirationforhisfather’sstrongworkethicanddeterminationforself-improvementinfluencedJohnearlyon.Edwards’highregardforhisfather’sdifficultlaborandhishumbleapproachtodealingwithadversesituationsisevidencedinthefollowingpassagefromhisautobiography:
WallaceEdwardstookwhatcamewithoutcomplaint.WhenhebeganatMilliken’sExcelsiorFinishingPlantinPendleton,SouthCarolina,hehoistedhundred-poundrollsofcloth,butheslowlyadvancedupthecompanyladderuntilhereachedamanagementpositionatMillikenRobbinsMillinNorthCarolina.Alongthewayhespentmuchofhistimetrainingyoungermenwhowouldgetbetter-payingjobsthantheonehehadorwouldeverhave.Theyhadcollegedegrees,andhedidnot.Andalthoughhetriedtotaketheadvancementcourseshiscompanyoffered,anerraticshiftschedulemaderegularattendancealmostimpossible—asitdidforsomanywhoworkedbesidehim.Sohesilentlylethisdreamgo,buteventhenIrememberwakingupearlyinthemorningtofindhiminthelivingroom,withhisownmysteriouspadsandpencilsinfrontofhimashewatchedwhatweretomebleakpublictelevisionshowsthattaughtthebasicsofprobabilityandstatistics.(Edwards&Auchard,2004,p.118)
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J.C.Wattsalsodescribedhowheandhissiblingsweretaughtthevalueofhardworkearlyon.Heexplained,“IfyoulivedunderBuddyWatts’roof,choreswereafactoflife.NobodyinthefamilyeverspentaSaturdaymorninginbed”(Watts&Winston,2002,p.36).J.C.andhisbrotherswouldbeworkingwiththeirfatherbydaybreakandhissistersspenttheweekendhelpingtheirmotherwithhouseclean-ing.Heelaborated,
And if you were working outside the family and not inschool,youhelpedpayyourownwaybychippinginalittlebitforgroceriesandmortgage...ThoseruleswentforeveryoneofBuddyandHelenWatts’kids.LifeintheWattsfamilywasnoSundayafternoonpicnic,buthardworkneverhurtanychild.(p.36)
BythetimeJ.C.was8yearsold,hehadbegunhelpinghisfatherfixpropertiesandconvertthemintorentalhouses.Workingwithhisfather,hegrewtoappreciatehisfather’sstrongworkethicandhisfrugalapproachtobusiness.Heexplained:
Myjobwastopullbent,rustynailsoutofreusableoldboardsinthosehousesandstacktheboardsbysize.Daddypaidmeapennyapieceforeverynailedpulled.WheneverIgottheurgetoquit,Iwouldmentallypictureatrickleofpennies,oneafteranother,droppingintoamasonjar,andIwentbacktoworkagain.ThewayI’dpilethosebrownnailsupsocarefully,you’dhavethoughtIwasstackinggoldbarsatFortKnox.But,Ilearnedthateverypennycounts.(Watts&Winston,2002,p.46)
TheadmirationthatJ.C.Wattshadforhisfatherasaproviderhelpedtoshapehisworldview.HerespectedhisfatherwhoaccomplishedsomuchinanerawhenBlackmalesinthesegregatedSouthwerenotaffordededucationalopportunities.“HewasnoPollyanna.NoonewholivedthroughtheDepression,WorldWarII,andJimCrowcouldbe,”hewrote.“Hewouldhavehadplentyofreasonstothrowuphishandsandblamehistroublesonothers,butheneverdid,becauseBuddyWattsbelieved—andtaughtme—thatopportunityisjusthardworkindisguise”(p.13).
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Encouragement and Guidance
Thefathersofthehigh-achievinggiftedmalesprovidedtheirsonswithstrongencouragementandhelpfulguidancethroughouttheirlives.Suchencouragementandguidancewasevidentinavarietyofways.Severalofthefathersweregoodlistenerswhileothersweremoreapttoofferverbaladvice.Someofthemenactuallytaughttheirsonsskillsnecessarytoachievewithintheirchosenprofessionaldomainwhileothersservedtheirsonsascoachesorsupportersfromthesidelines. JoséSantanarealizedearlythathisyoungsonCarloswascapti-vatedbythesoundofmusicinamuchmorepersonalandspiritualwaythanmostchildren.Asaresulthedecidedtofollowhisownfather’smodelandtaughthissonhowtoplaytheviolinatage5.Santana’sbiographerindicatedthat“JoséwaspatientinteachingCarlos.Hefeltthathisyoungsonneededthenutsandboltsofmusic.Buthewasnotoverlystrictandallowedtheloveoftheinstrumentandthemusictosethisyoungsonfree(Shapiro,2000,pp.18–19).Eventuallyfatherandsonhaddifferingviewsofthechoiceofviolinasaninstrument,andJoséacquiescedandpurchasedhimausedelectricguitar.Yearslater, theaccomplishedmusicianwasappreciativeasheexplained,“Becauseofallthetrainingthatmydadgavemeontheviolin,learn-ingtheguitarseemedprettyeasy”(Shapiro,2000,p.30). CarlosSantanaalsolearnedsomeimportantlifelessonsfromhisfather’sexperienceasamariachibandmusician.Observinghisfatherinstreetperformances,restaurants,andnightclubs,Carloslearnedpainful lessons regarding class distinctions in American society.Hesawthedegradationhisfatherexperiencedwhenanintoxicatedpatronwouldpulloutathickwadofmoney,handittohisfather,andinsistthatheplayhisfavoritesong15timesinarow.Carlosfeltthedegradationturnintohumiliationwhenhisfatheracceptedthemoneyandbegantoplay.Troubledbyhisfather’scircumstances,hemadeanimportantdecision.“Isaid,‘WhenIgrowup,I’mgoingtoplaywhatIwanttoplayandthey’restillgoingtopaymeorI’llbedoingsomethingelse’”(Shapiro,2000,p.27).Whenheconfrontedhisfatherwithhisfeelings,hisfatherthenpassedonanimportantlifelesson:“Hetoldmewhenyou’reonstage,youhavetoputawayyourangerandpainandmakepeoplehappy.Onceyougohome,you
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couldkickandcurse,buthewasadamantaboutpresentingyourselfwithkindnessandsoftness”(Shapiro,2000,p.27). LikeCarlosSantana,actoranddirectorRonHowardalsoreceivedimportanttrainingfromhisfatheratanearlyage.Asachildactor,RonHowardgrewupinhisparents’world.HefoundhimselfamongtheatricalfolkanddiscoveredthatbeingonaHollywoodsetwaslikeaplaygroundforhim.Althoughthetheatricalenvironmentmayhaveseemedlikeaplacetohavefun,RanceHowardinsistedthathisyoungsonconducthimselfinaprofessionalmanner.Forinstance,whenajournalistaskedhimtositforhisfirstinterview,hefidgetedbuthisfatherwouldnotlethimbeanythinglessthanprofessional.WhenthereporterturnedtoRanceforresponsestoquestions,hewoulddemur,saying,“No,IwantRonnytoanswerthem”(Gray,2003,p.13).Althoughheexpectedprofessionalismfromhisyoungson,heunderstood that young Ronny was merely a child who occasion-allyneededtobescolded.AfterbeingdisciplinedonthesetofThe andy Griffith Show,Ranceexplainedtohimthatnomatterwhowaswatching“Ihaveonlyonejobandthat’stobeyourfatherandthat’stoteachyourightfromwrong.Andnothingaboutthatembarrassesme”(Gray,2003,pp.18–19). Asa5-year-oldchildactorRonnyhadnotlearnedtoreadyet,sohisfathertaughthimhislines.Howardmaintainedthathisfatheralsopassedonlessonsinbasicactingtechniquesthatremainedwithhimthroughouthiscareer.Herememberedhisfathertellinghim,beforehisappearanceonthefamousred Skelton Show,“Reallylookathimintheeyeandreallylistentowhathe’ssaying.Don’tjustwaitforyourline;reallylisten.Andthenyourlinewilljustcomenaturally”(Gray,2003,p.12).Hetaughtthedifferencebetweenactingandmereperforming,makingitclearthat“Inordertosayaline,youhadtohavethethoughtfirst”(Gray,2003,p.18). HollywoodactressShirleyJonesreportedthatshefoundRanceHoward’s approach to parenting a child actor refreshing. Sheexplained,“Somanyparentstakethekidasideandsay,‘Don’tdothat.Don’tdoitthatway.ListentohowItellyoutodoit.’”Rance,bycon-trast,neverinterjectedhisownideas.“Hewasvery,verycognizantofwhatthemoviewas,whatthestorywas,andthedirectorwasboss”(Gray,2003,p.28).Howard’sbiographernotedthesignificantlessonthatyoungRongainedfromhisfather’sparentingontheset:“Rance’s
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quietsubordinationofhisparentalegotothewelfareoftheprojecttaughthissonavaluablelesson.Ronnylearnedfromanearlyagethatbeingpartofacollaborativeeffortwasalwaysanactor’stoppriority”(Gray,2003,p.28). WhileRonHowardwasreceivingimportanttrainingfromhisfatheronaHollywoodset,OlympicgymnastBartConnerwasbeingraised inahomeenvironment thatwasalso supportiveofhis tal-ents.Connerreflectedonhisparents’approachtoencouragingthreephysicallyactive,athleticboys.“Doingflipsinthelivingroomandstandingonthewasherseemedlikeperfectlynormalactivitiesforusbecauseweknewthatobjectsinourhouseweremeanttobeusedandenjoyed”herecalled,“Itwasalwaysasmuch‘thekids’house’asitwas‘theadults’house’”(Conner,1985,p.7).Bartalsoreceivedimportantproblem-solvingtrainingfromhisfather.Hisfatherwasaprofessorofengineeringandhisapproachtolifewasalwayslogical.BartConnerexplainedhowhebenefitedfromhisfather’sstyleofproblemsolving:
Heisincrediblyskillfulatanalysis,methodicalplotting,andstep-by-stepexecution.Noproblemiseversobigthatmydadcan’tcomputeallthevariables,setagoal,andgettowork.Everytaskissimplysetoutinaseriesofsmalltasks.Yettherearetimeswhenhealmostmakesitseemtooeasy.Inmanysituationsitistruethatifyoucanmakealogicalplanandthenworkitthrough,thereistheresult.Andmydadtaughtmehowtoexecuteandachieveinthismanner.(Conner,1985,p.28)
Bartdescribedhowhisfathertaughthimthemechanicsofhowtomakesomethingwork.Inhighschool,hehatedhiscalculuscourse.Hewouldarrivehomefromschoolwithaproblemthathesawasimpossibletosolveandspendhoursravingandrantingaboutsucha“stupidclass.”Headmittedhisproblemswiththecalculusassignmenttookonthe“proportionsofanationalcrisis.”Bartexplainedthattheproblemwouldbeaddressedwhenhisfatherarrivedhomeandhisdadwouldcalmlysitdownwithhimandsay,“Okay,whatisyourgoalhere?Whatareyoutryingtoaccomplishinthisassignment?Justfindonethingyouenjoyaboutthisclassandwe’llgofromthere”(Conner,1985,p.25).
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Thefathersinthestudyprovidedtheirsonswithadvicewhenthetimewasappropriate.JohnEdwardsdescribedasummerjobintheweavingroomofatextilemillinwhichhisresponsibilitywastocleanhundredsofthelooms.Theywerecoveredwithgreaseandlint,andbecausemanyoftheloomfixerschewedtobaccotopassthetime,theywerealsocoveredwithglobsofthick,brownsaliva.Edwardswrote,“‘Now you see,’ my dad said, bending close to me so that I couldhearhimoverthedinofthelooms,‘whyyouneedtogotocollege’”(Edwards&Auchard,2004,p.122). CarlLewisdescribedmultipleexamplesofhisfatherprovidingencouragementandguidance.DuringtimesofcontroversywhenthemediawascriticizingCarl,hisfatherhelpedhimtoremainfocusedonhisgoalsandignorehiscritics.HewouldoftensaytoCarl,“Expressyourfeelingsinalow-keyway,yes,butdon’tlashout.Thatwillonlymakethingsworse.Thatwillonlyloweryoutotheirlevel”(Lewis&Marx,1990,p.90).Lewisfoundthathisfather’sadviceandencour-agementpaidoffwhenthereportersbegantotreathimbetter.“Myfatherhadbeenrightwhenheencouragedmetobepatient.Ihadwaitedouttheproblems,andnowIwouldhaveachancetoturnmyimagearound”(Lewis&Marx,1990,p.110). Severalofthemeninthestudydescribedintheirautobiogra-phieshowtheencouragementandguidancetheyreceivedfromtheirfathers—theimportantlessonslearnedfromtheirdads—remainedwiththemlongaftertheirfathershadpassedaway.ArepresentativeexampleofthiswasPaulO’Neill’sdescriptionofaconversationheldwithhisownchildrenearlyonemorningwhenhearrivedhomeafterabaseballgame.Hehadhelpedtowinthegameandwasquietlycel-ebratingthevictoryinthesilenceofhishome.Heexplained:
Iwassurprisedwhenmykidscamerunningintoseeme,finding me alone having some private thoughts. TheywantedtoknowifIhadbeentalkingtoPapaChuckjustthen.“Guys,”Isaid,smilingandhuggingthem,“Iwastalk-ingtoPapaChuck.”...NothingwouldeverreplaceDad’sbeingheretocelebratewithmeinperson,butayearafterhisdeath,hisweddingringnowonmyleftringfingerwithmyownweddingband,Ifelthispresenceconstantlyandhad
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conversationswithhimwheneverIfelttheneed.(O’Neill&Rocks,2003,p.212)
Maintaining High Expectations and Fostering Determination
Thefathersofthemeninthestudymaintainedhighexpectationsfortheirsons.Noneofthefathersplacedhighpressuretofollowapar-ticularpathinlife.Theydidnotinsistthattheirsonsfollowintheirfootstepsorimposeanyparticularprofessionalgoalsoraspirations;theysimplyaskedthattheirsonsstrivetoalwaysdotheirbestinwhat-everdomaintheychose.Maintaininghighexpectationswasalessondeliveredbythefatherstotheirsonsinchildhoodandadolescence,andwasreinforcedthroughouttheirearlycareeryears.Forinstance,BartConnerdescribedhowhisfatherheldhighexpectationsforallthreeofhissons,encouragingthemtoconsidervariousavenuesfordevelopingtheirtalents.Heexplained,“I’vealwaysbeeninterestedinautomobiles.AndIrememberwhenmyfathersaid,‘Whydon’tyouplanonbeingthepresidentofFordMotorCompanysomeday.’Imean,that’showmydadis—nothingseemstoofarfetched”(Conner,1985,pp.24–25). Maintaininghighexpectations includeddoingwell in school.Thefathersofthehigh-achievingmalesallinsistedthattheirsonsfocusonacademicsbeforeanythingelseandconductthemselvesasyounggentlemeninschool.TimRussert’sdescriptionofhisfather’sphilosophicalapproachtoeducationanddisciplineisevidentinthefollowingpassageregardingTim’searlyparochialschoolexperience:
Whenateacherissuedadecree,therewasnocourtofappeals,nosecondopinion,noparentalmercy.MyparentsbackedFatherSturmastheybackedeveryteacherandadministra-tor,andeveryotheradultinourlives.Daddidn’tknowtheexpressionin loco parentis,butheunderstoodthepointofit:youbehavedatschoolthewayyouwereexpectedtobehaveathome.Andifyoudidn’t,youwouldbepunishedinbothplaces.(Russert,2004,p.189)
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Severalofthefathersinthisstudywerenotaffordedtheopportu-nitytoattendcollegeandweredeterminedtoseetheirsonsimprovetheirlivesthrougheducation.JohnEdwardswrotethatasayoungmanhecertainlywantedtopleasehisparentsandheunderstoodthattheywantedwhatwasbestforhiminlife.Eventuallyhegrewtounderstandwhytheymaintainedhighexpectationsforhim.Heexplained,
Atfirst,Ididn’tunderstandwhytheyhadsuchstrongambi-tionformetofindalifebeyondamilltown.ButatoneofmyearlysummerjobsintheweavingroomoftheRobbinsmill,Ibegantounderstandhowgenuinelyhardthelifeofmyparentsreallywas.Andwhytheywantedsomethingdifferentforme.(Edwards&Auchard,2004,p.122)
J.C.Wattswroteabouthisfather’shardworkandstruggletopro-videforhisfamily.“Afteryearsofscramblingforjobs,nooneunder-stoodcompetitionbetter thanBuddyWatts” (Watts&Winston,2002,p.104).HisfatherservedasinspirationforJ.C.asheprovidedhissonamodelofdetermination.Hewrote,“Mostimportant,heknewthattherearetimesineveryman’slifewhenreachingforyourdreamforcesyoutofindbedrock,tolookdeeplyintoyourselfandsummonupthecouragetodoyourbest”(Watts&Winston,2002,p.104).Heconcluded,“That’sallBuddyWattseverexpectedofmegrowingup”(Watts&Winston,2002,p.104).
Pride in Son’s Accomplishments
Thebiographicalmaterialsexaminedinthestudyprovidedevidencethatthefathersofthehigh-achievinggiftedmalesexpressedprideintheirsons’accomplishments,whichnaturallypropelledtheirsonsto continue their pattern of achievement. The fathers’ pride wasexpressedinsubtleornotsosubtleways,andthesonsappreciatedknowingthattheirfatherswereproudofthem.TimRussert’sfatherexpressedhisprideinrathersubtleways.WhenRussertwasacceptedtoJohnCarrollUniversityhisparentswereproudoftheirfirst-gener-ationcollegeson.Hewrote:
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Right away, Mom asked me to get Dad a John CarrollUniversitystickerforthebackofthecarwindow,whichwasquiteastatementbecauseBigRusshasanaversiontobumperstickersordecals.Butforhiscollegeboy,hemadeanexcep-tion.(Russert,2004,p.221)
SeveralsemesterslaterwhenRussertreturnedhomeforthesummermonths,hejoinedhisfatherandhiscolleaguesasagarbagecollectoronthecitysanitationcrewofBuffalo,NY.Attheendofthatsum-mer,amemberofthesanitationteamwhohadwatchedTimworkallthatsummercomplimentedMr.RussertforTim’sperformanceasamemberofthecrew,notrealizingthatTimwaswithinearshot.Mr.Russertgraciouslyacceptedthepraiseforhisson.Russertexplainedwhyhavinghisfatherreceiveacomplimentforhisperformanceasacrewmemberwassosignificant:
Dadnevermentionedthisexchange,buthedidn’thaveto—Ihadwitnessedit,andIfeltlikeIhadwonamedal.There’snothingworsethandisappointingyourparents,andnoth-ingbetterthanmakingthemproud.Hereandthere,Ihadpleasedhiminotherways,mostlyatschool,inchurch,orontheplayground,butthiswasdifferent.Thiswashisworld,andIhaddonemyjob—hisjob,actually—withsomedegreeofcompetence.(Russert,2004,p.70)
JohnEdwardsalsorecognizedthepridehisparentsfeltinhim.Afterbecomingsuccessfulasatrialattorney,EdwardswasabletotreathisparentstodinnerattheCityClub,afinerestaurantsituatedatthetopoftheFirstAmericanBankBuildingoverlookingNashville,TN.Heexplained,“Tosplurgelikethatformyfolks,bothofwhomhadworkedlonghardhourstoputmethroughcollege,wastremendouslygratifying,”herecalled,“Aswesatthereandtheyremarkedabouthowthey’dneverbeenupsohighandseensofar,Iknewthattheywerepleasedwithmylife”(Edwards&Auchard,2004,pp.14–15).Hewasespeciallypleasedforhisfatherashenoted,“Ihadnotroubleimaginingmydadatchurchthenextweekendtellinganyonewho’dlistenaboutthefancyplaceJohnnyhadtakenthemtoinNashville”(Edwards&Auchard,2004,p.15).
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PaulO’Neillalsobenefitedfromhisfather’sopenexpressionofprideinhisson.Hehadmemoriesofhisfather’sprideinhimasaLittleLeagueplayer.Whenhehelpedhis teamwinthecity tour-nament,heknewhowhisfatherfeltabouthimthatevening.“I’llneverforgetthatstrikeoutaslongasIlive.HowcouldI?ThesmileonDad’sfacewasemblazonedforeverinmyheart(O’Neill&Rocks,2003,p.46).Whenhereachedtheminorleagues,hisfatherwouldtravellongdistancestowatchhissonperforminspringtraining.Hereflected,“HispresencecertainlygavemetremendousconfidenceasI’dglanceoverandseehiminthestandsthatheldonlyaroundfivethousandpeople,beamingatmewithhisconstantbigsmile”(O’Neill&Rocks,2003,p.83).O’Neillnotedhisfather’sprideashedescribedtheexperienceofreceivingthephonecallinwhichhewasofficiallybeingcalledtoplayprofessionalbaseballinthemajorleagues:
WhattrulymatteredasIputdownthephone,onlytopickituptwosecondslatertocallDad,wasthatthissignifiedthecrowningmomentofallthesweat,hardwork,andfaiththathehasinvestedinmethroughoutmylife...IholleredthenewsoverthelineasDadholleredrightback.Wewereecstatic...Getting“TheCall”wasoneofthebiggestrushesofmylife,andthethrill itgavemyfathermadeitmuchsweeter,lettingmeknowthatIwasgivingbacktohimwhathehadgiventomeforsomanyyears.(O’Neill&Rocks,2003,p.5)
What Paul O’Neill described above is similar to the feelingsFranklinGrahamexperiencedwhenBillyGrahamattendedhisson’sevangelicalcrusademeetingforthefirsttime.Franklinrealizedthathisinternationallyrenownedfatherwasconsideredlargerthanlifebymanyofhisfollowers.Hedescribedthepoignantevent:
Whenmyfatherstoodtogreetthecrowd,hewasgivenastandingovation.I triedtoconvincehimtopreachthatnight. “Daddy, believe me, they would rather hear youtonightthanmeanyday.”Buthesmiledandsaid,“Noson,Icametohearyou...I’mproudofyouson.”Iguesseverysonwantstohearthosewordsfromhisfather,nomatterhowoldheis.(Graham,1995,pp.310–311)
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Mutual Admiration and Respect
Whilethefatherstookgreatprideintheirsons’achievements,bothfathersandsonsheldeachotherinhighadmirationandrespectedeachotherasmen.Theadmirationofthesonsfortheirfathersoftencentered on how the fathers approached life in general, how theyovercamedifficulties,howtheyremaineddedicatedtotheirfamilies,andhowtheysupportedthetalentdevelopmentoftheirchildren.Thefathersrespectedtheirsonsforbecomingtheindustrious,high-achievingindividualstheywere.Thesubjectsinthestudyhadlookedtotheirfathersasmodelsofsuccessfulmen,followedtheirexample,andlistenedtotheirfathers’encouragement,guidance,andadvice,andinreturnwereappreciatedandrespectedbytheirfathers. CarlosSantanahadtremendousadmirationforhisfather.Thiswasestablishedearlyinhischildhood.Asayoungster,hewatchedhis father and his fellow costumed troubadours who brought somuchpleasuretothelivesofaudiencesthroughoutthecity.Hesawhisfatherasapowerfulmanwhocouldaffectpeopledeeplywithhismusicandhewasawed.“AsakidIrememberwatchinghowpeople’seyeswouldlightupwhenhisfatherplayedtheviolin.Atthatpoint,Iknewthathehadthepowertovalidatepeople’sexistence”(Shapiro,2000,p.17). Santana’saweforhisfatherwassimilartotheadmirationJerrySeinfeldheldforhisfatherwhoappliedhiscomicqualitiestohisworkasasalesman.Seinfeldexplained,“Mydadwasveryfunny;quickandverysociable—thekindofguyyou’dwantataparty...Hewasalwaysmakingpeoplelaugh.IwatchedtheeffecthewouldhaveonpeopleandIthought,‘That’sforme’“(Tracy,1998,p.8).Seinfeldelaborated:“Therehasneverbeenaprofessionalcomedianwithbetterstagepres-ence,attitude,timing,ordelivery...acomicgenius”(Oppenheimer,2002,p.40).Seinfeldalsowrote,“Healsoturnedmeontothesecretthatit’sfuntobefunny.That’sreallywhyIdoit”(Tracy,p.8).Jerryenjoyedwatchinghisdad’ssalesmanshipanddescribedhowhisfatherinfluencedhiswork:
ThethingIremembermost...ishowoftenmyfatherwouldsaytome,“SometimesIdon’tevencareifIgettheorder,I justhavetobreakthatface.”Hehatestoseethoseseri-ousbusinessmanfaces.Iguessthat’swhyhe,likeme,never
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seemedtobeabletoholddownanykindofrealjob.OftenwhenI’monstageI’llcatchmyselfimitatingalittlephysicalmoveoracertainkindoftimingthathewoulddo“Tobreakthatface.”(Oppenheimer,2002,p.40)
WhileJerrySeinfeld’sfatherbroughtlaughterintohiscustom-ers’lives,FranklinGraham’sfathertouchedlivesinadifferentway.FranklinGraham’sadmirationandrespectforhisfatherasanevan-gelicalleadergrewovertimeasherealizedthepowerfulinfluencehis father’s lifehadhadonsomanypeoplearoundtheworld.Heexplained:
IobservedwhatonemancouldaccomplishifhetrustedGodandremainedfaithfultoHisSonJesusChrist.Anentirenationcouldbeimpacted.Ibegantoappreciateinadiffer-entwaymyownfatherandtheimpactthathislifehadmadenotinjustonenationbuttheentireworld.WhereverIwent,ImetpeoplewhohadgiventheirlivestoGodundermyfather’sministry,manyofthemmenandwomenwhowerenowinhighplacesinmanywalksoflife—servingChrist.Itmademeproud.(Graham,1995,p.135)
Several of the men in the study admired and respected theirfathersforthewayinwhichtheydealtwithadversityintheirlives,maintainedtheirdignity,andkepttheneedsoftheirfamiliesastheirhighest priority. John Edwards observed the challenges his fatherfacedandadmiredhisstrongcharacter.Henoted,
Iknewwhatkindofmanhewas.Iknewhowgoodamanhewasandhowmuchhecaredforthepeoplearoundhim.Andtoseethewayhewastreatedbecausehedidn’thaveahighschooldegree—itdidn’tcauseanger.Butitfeltunfair”(Broder,2003,p.A0l)
J.C.Wattsreflectedonhowhisfather’ssisterwasdiagnosedwithtuberculosisandwasplacedinahospitalapproximately80milesawayfromherfamily.Wattssharedthathisfathergrabbedafreighttrainandrodetherails inordertovisithissister.Becausehecouldnotaffordamotelroom,hespenthisnightssleepingunderabridge.This
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experiencedeeplyinfluencedhowhesawhisfatherandhisdedicationtohisfamily:
Thatstoryofmydaddy’strainridetohissister’sbedsidetaughtmetheimportanceofloveandfamilyfromthetimeIfirsthearditasayoungboy.Nomatterhowmuchwechangeorhowfarfromhomewefindourselves,thefamilyistherockonwhichwebuildourlives.Myfamilyisaproudone—proudofitsancestry,itstriumphsoveradversity,itsfaith,anditslove.(Watts&Winston,2002,pp.11–12)
Theadmirationandrespectofthesonsfortheirfatherswasoftenopenly expressed in tender ways. Paul O’Neill discussed how hisfather’spresenceinthestadiumswassignificanttohim.Hesaid,“Myfather’sbeinginthestandsmatteredtomemorethanwordscouldexpress.FenwayParkcouldhavebeenfilledtocapacitywithstanding-room-onlycrowds,butIknewwheremyfatherwassitting”(O’Neill&Rocks,2003,p.165).Headded,“Icouldfeelhispresence,likeabrightbeamofsunlightshiningonmewhenItooktorightfield”(O’Neill&Rocks,2003,p.165). TimRusserthadbeeninvitedtoaddresstheannualconventionoftheNewYorkstatechapteroftheAmericanLegion.TheLegionwantedtogiveTimajournalismawardinappreciationforhishavingfeaturedtheAmericanLegioninaspecialbroadcastonveteranshewasresponsibleforatNBC.Withhisfatherandsonseatedinthefrontrowoftheauditorium,Russertconcludedhisacceptancespeechwithapoignantsurprise:
“Iamhonoredtoreceivethisaward,”Isaid,“butIwanttodedicateittosomeonemuchmoredeserving.Henevergraduatedfromhighschool,buthetaughthisfourkidsbyexample,hishardwork,andhisbasicdecency.Today,hecel-ebrateshisfiftiethanniversaryasanAmericanLegionnaire.Itiswithenormouspride,theutmostrespect,andthedeep-estlove,thatIpresentthisawardtothepastcommanderoftheSouthBuffaloPost721—myhero,mydad,therealTimRussert.”(Russert,2004,p.xv)
ShortlyafterCarlLewisearnedhisfirstgoldmedalinthe1984Olympics,hisfatherwasdiagnosedwithcancer.Lewisnoted,“Just
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likethat,everythingthathadeverseemedimportanttomewasnotimportantanymore.TheonlythingIcaredaboutwasbeingason,myfather’sson”(Lewis&Marx,1990,p.97).Whenhisfatherdied,Carl’s final tribute to his dad reflected the ultimate love, admira-tion,andrespectheheldforhisfather.Inhisautobiography,Lewisdescribedanimportantpromisehemadetohisfather:
Thedayofthefuneral,whenourfamilywasviewingthebody,Ipulledoutthemedaltoplaceinmyfather’shand...MymotheraskedifIwassureIwantedtoburythemedal,andIwas.Itwouldbemyfather’sforever.“ButI’mgoingtogetanotherone,”Itoldmymother.Turningtomyfather,Isaid,“Don’tworry.I’mgoingtogetanotherone.”Thatwasapromise—tomyselfandtoDad.Hewaslyingtheresopeace-fully,hishandsrestingonhischest.WhenIplacedthemedalinhishand,itfitperfectly.(Lewis&Marx,1990,p.101)
Discussion and Implications
Inreviewingtheexperiencesofthe10subjectsinthisstudy,sixinter-woventhemesemergefromthedata.Therelationshipsamongthethemesaresignificantinunderstandingthefather-sonrelationshipsandarehelpfultoparentsandeducatorsofgiftedmales.Forinstance,animportantrelationshipexistsbetweenafathermodelingastrongworkethicandexpectinghissontomaintainhighstandards.Asevi-dentinthestudy,afatherworkshardtoprovideforhisfamily,andthesonfollowshisfather’sexampleandstrivestoworkhardinschoolandlaterinhischosenprofession.Asaresult,mutualadmirationandrespectevolvesbetweenthefatherandhisson.Anotherrelationshipbetweenexistingthemesisevidentinthefather’sunconditionalbeliefinhis son, influencingtheson’s identityasamancapableofhighachievement.Inotherwords,ifayoungmanrealizesthathisfatherbelievesinhimandthinksheiscapableofsignificantaccomplish-ment,hebeginstoseehimselfasanachiever.Athirdthematicrela-tionshipexistsbetweentheencouragementandguidanceaffordedthesonandthefather’sdisplayofpride.Asafatherencourages,guides,andteacheshissonlessonsthatenablehimtobecomesuccessfuland
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ashisnurturingresultsinhisson’ssuccess,itisnotsurprisingthatheopenlyshareshisprideinhisson’saccomplishments. Thefathersoftheprominentsuccessfulbabyboomersfeaturedinthisstudyhaveprovidedamodelthatmayserveasthefounda-tionforeffectiveparentingofgiftedmales.Thethemesemergingfromthisstudyserveasimportantcomponentsofthemodelandmaybethoughtofascriticalingredientsforsuccessfulparenting.Inthink-ing about these ingredients, one must consider how they becomeindividualizedforeachyoungman.Eachfatherinthisstudytookanindividualizedapproachfortransferringhislifelessonstohisson.Severalfatherssawtheirsonsbeingtoohardonthemselvesattimesand delivered guidance accordingly. Some saw their sons needingtostrikeoutforindependenceandprovidedthemtheopportunity.Othersrealizedthattheirsonswouldbenefitfromdirectinstructionandtheydelivered.Ineachcase,thefather’sapproachmatchedtheparticularneedsofhisson. Thefindingsofthisstudyareconsistentwithresearchonfather-sonrelationships.Theingredientsforsuccessfulparentingdeliveredbythefathersofthe10subjects inthestudysupporttheworkofMorman and Floyd (2006) who found that love, availability, rolemodeling, and support were seen as important characteristics ofgoodfathers.ThefindingsofthisstudyarealsoconsistentwiththescholarshiphighlightedbyMarsiglioetal.(2000), indicatingthatpaternalinvolvementwasdirectlyrelatedtopositiveoutcomessuchasacademicsuccess,emotionalhealth,andappropriatesocialbehav-iorinboys.Moreover,thefindingsofthestudyreinforceGurian’s(1996)philosophicalviewofhealthyfatherhoodinwhichthefatherisinvolvedintheson’slifeearlyon,communicatesasenseofheritageandtraditiontohisson,enablinghimtoshapehisownidentity,andassistshissoninmakingthetransitionfromboyhoodtomanhoodwithindependenceandrespect. Thefindingsof this studyalsocall attention toan importantissue in research on fatherhood within culturally diverse popula-tions.Researchersinmen’sstudieshaveindicatedthatcircumstancesassociatedwithraceandethnicitymayaffecthowmenofcolorviewtheirrolesasfathers(Marsiglio&Pleck,2005).Whenconsideringfatherhood for African American and Latino men, we must takeintoaccountthehistoricalbackground,institutionalracism,andthe
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marginalstatusofmenofcolorinordertoappreciatethechallengestheyencounter.HistoricallyAfricanAmericanandLatinomenhaveexperiencedfeweropportunitiestoachievesocioeconomicsuccess.Asaresult,culturallydiversemeninthiscountrymustmentortheirsonsintoasocietytaintedwithprejudice.Forthesemen,theaddedpaternalroleasteacherofracialorethnicrelationsbecomessignifi-cant.ThefindingsofthisstudyhighlightthisissuewhenweconsidertheexperiencesofthefathersofJ.C.Watts,CarlLewis,andCarlosSantana.Ineachcase,thefathersofthesemenovercameadversityassociatedwiththehistoricalcontextinwhichtheywerelivingandtaughttheirsonstolookbeyondthecircumstancesoftheirfamiliesandstrivetosucceed.ThroughtheirencouragementandguidancethesefathersdeliveredimportantlessonstotheirsonsregardingwhatitmeanttobeamanofcolorinAmerica. Researchersandpsychologistsmaintainthatfathersservetheirsonsasthemostimportantsourceofinformationregardingwhatitmeanstobesuccessfulmales(Cox,2006;Pollack,1998).Consistentwiththisview,thisstudyofferssignificantimplicationsforfathersofgiftedmalesandtheirroleintalentdevelopment.Bycloselyexamin-ingthefather-sonrelationshipsofthehigh-achievinggiftedmales,fathersmaygainnewinsightsonhowtosupporttheirsons.Infact,parentsmayfindithelpfulaswellasinspirationaltoreadthebio-graphicalmaterialsexaminedinthisstudy.Moreover,educatorsandcounselorsneedtoexaminethelessonslearnedfromthisstudyandsupportthefathersofgiftedmaleswhowanttofollowtherecipeforsuccessofferedbythemeninthisstudy.Teachersandcounsel-orscancertainlyreinforcehowfortunategiftedboysarewhentheirfathersbelieveinthemunconditionally,serveasmodelsofastrongworkethic,maintainhighexpectationsforthem,respectthem,andtakegreatpride intheiraccomplishments.Inaddition,educatorsmaywishtoemphasizethesesamepracticesintheclassroom,inthehopesofreinforcingtheimportantlessonsdeliveredathome.Forinstance,teachersdeterminedtoinstillastrongworkethicmaynotallowgiftedlearnerstosimplyearngoodgradesyetremainintellec-tuallyunchallenged.Throughpromotingsuchaphilosophy,educa-torsteachstudentstoappreciatehardworkasanopportunityforvaluabletalentdevelopment.
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Thisstudyexaminedapopulationofmenfromthebabyboomgenerationandthefindingsofthestudymayreflectthevaluesoftheirfathers’ generation. A compelling question to consider is whetherornot thevaluesofmensuchasBuddyWatts,WallaceEdwards,andRanceHowardaretimeless.Considerthefollowingquestions:Willthebabyboomersrepresentedinthisstudycarryonthevaluespassedontothem?Wouldthesamefindingsemergefromastudyofhigh-achievinggiftedmalesfromGenerationXortheMillennialGeneration?Researchersmaywanttoreplicatethisstudywithsub-jectsselectedfromsucceedinggenerations.Anotherinterestingcon-siderationisthepossibilityofreplicatingthisstudyandfocusingonbiographiesofprominentgiftedhigh-achievingmaleswhosefatherswereabsentfromtheirlives.Suchastudywouldexaminehowsinglemothersmayhavemaintainedsimilarrecipesforsuccessfulparenting. The men included in this study were prominent within theirdomains; therefore, publishing companies are willing to invest inbiographies and autobiographies of such men. It is important torealizethatprominenceinAmericansocietyismediadriven.It isinterestingtonotethatthesamechallengesGoertzelandGoertzel(1962)encounteredinlocatingbiographiesofeminentindividualsmorethan40yearsagoremaintoday.TheGoertzelsreportedtheirfrustrationsinbeingunabletolocateadultbiographiesofsignificantAmericanssuchasNobelprizewinningstatesmanRalphBunche,yettheydiscoveredanabundanceofbiographiesonpopularcultureiconssuchas“BuffaloBill”Cody.Withthisinmind,werealizethattheaccomplishmentsofthe10subjectsinthisstudyhavebeencelebratedperhapsbecausetheirparticulartalentdomainsarehighlyvaluedinourculture.Muchcanbe learnedfromtheir lifestories;however,researchers,educators,andparentsmaydiscoversimilarsuccesssto-riesinmenlessprominentandwhentheydo,theycanalsocelebratethoselessons.
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