Sherwin W. Howard was born February 19, 1936 in Safford, Arizona. He composed his first poems when he was very young by saying verses to his mother who recorded them in a scrapbook. His plays have been produced in California, Connecticut, Georgia, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin.
At Utah State University in Logan, Howard received a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics and physics, and a Master of Arts degree in theatre and music. He earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in playwriting and dramatic literature at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in higher education administration at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.
Howard�s career in higher education as a professor and administrator spanned 35 years. He was Assistant to the Provost at Ohio University in Athens; Executive Assistant to the President at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin; Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah; and President of Deep Springs College in Deep Springs, California. He was also editor of the journal "Weber Studies," which has an annual poetry award in his memory.
On many occasions Howard was recognized for service, leadership, and creativity. Representative of these honors are Utah Governor's Award in the Arts, Utah Musical Theatre Distinguished Service Award, and Utah Education Association Honor Roll. He was named Utah Poet of the Year by the Utah State Poetry Society; he received the Higher Education Administrator of the Year Award from the Utah Alliance for Arts and Humanities Education, and was named a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International.
In addition to being a writer and educator, Howard was an actor, storyteller, public speaker, and photographer. He had a rich bass baritone solo voice, and played piano, saxophone, clarinet, and guitar. He was an avid reader, especially in the areas of higher education, theatre, western and U.S. history, and the classics. He liked camping and hiking, and had great reverence for nature and the environment. Howard enjoyed making soup and cookies, decorating birthday cakes, and being a father and grandfather.
Following seven and a half months of treatment for malignant melanoma, Howard died at his home August 18, 2001 at age 65. His plan for retirement had been "to write more poems."
