Dr. Neal E. Vivian was born on May 29, 1921, in Hibbing, Minnesota. He attended Crosby-Ironton High School where he graduated in 1939. Dr. Vivian received a Bachelor’s degree in both business and education, a Master’s degree in educational psychology and his doctorate in distributive education, all from the University of Minnesota.
Dr. Vivian began his career at The Ohio State University in 1966 as a Research Specialist at the National Center for Vocational Education and as an Associate Professor of Vocational Education. Dr. Vivian began his full-time faculty position in the academic faculty of Vocational-Technical Education in 1968. Dr. Vivian specialized in and coordinated the distributive education section within the vocational-technical education area.
Dr. Vivian’s life was tragically cut short when he drowned on September 9, 1978, while on vacation with his wife in Nags Head, North Carolina. A scholarship was established in his name by his family and a group of his students in 1980, and is still awarded to students focusing on the study of business and marketing education.