Now is always the time when more good work can be done.

Those words reveal the ways in which John S. Duley lived his life. He was always seeking ways to do more good and advocating for a more just society. John was an inspiration to all who came to know him. His energy was infectious and catalytic, motivating others to do good work. He believed in progressive social justice. Those words reveal the ways in which John S. Duley lived his life. He was always seeking ways to do more good and advocating for a more just society. John was an inspiration to all who came to know him. His energy was infectious and catalytic, motivating others to do good work. He believed in progressive social justice.

John S. Duley passed away on Thursday, July 15th, 2021 in East Lansing, Michigan, at the age of 100. An ordained Presbyterian minister, Reverend Duley served on the faculty of Michigan State University and was a nationally respected civil rights and social justice champion, who pioneered practices in higher education that came to be known as service-learning, civic engagement, and community-engaged learning.

He and his family moved to East Lansing in 1962 when he was appointed to work as an MSU campus minister. There he would become a civil rights activist and leader at both the community and national levels.

During his time at MSU, from 1962-1982, John strengthened services for nontraditional students, pursued fair housing in East Lansing for non-White residents, pioneered the national service-learning movement, and developed and led the Student Tutorial Education Program (STEP) from 1965-1968, engaging over 100 students and faculty volunteers to prepare students at Rust College, an all-black Mississippi school, for academic success and to support the school’s full accreditation.

John and his wife Betty’s commitment to equity continued beyond their time at MSU. In 1982, the Michigan Peace and Justice Network was established due to their petitions. In 1989, they founded the Greater Lansing Housing Coalition. In 2001, John created the Closing the Digital Gap program. In 2005, Edgewood Village was formed, and later the Edgewood Scholars Program, which continued to expand partnerships with the university and in the community. MSU student volunteers and America Reads tutors are partnered at Edgewood Village each year.

John did his work in partnership with community through building coalitions. He wished to inspire students at MSU to continue to build coalitions and work for community change. In 2009, he established the John S. Duley Fund for Service-Learning to support student-led community and civic engagement initiatives to enhance the mission of the Center for Community Engaged Learning.

John’s leadership and mentorship will continue to serve as a source of inspiration for community members, faculty, and students. He exemplified servant leadership. In his honor, the Center for Community Engage Learning will continue the mission of preparing students for lifelong civic and social responsibility.