Commemorating the 50 th Anniversary of the University of Rhode Island Seminar on Death Education, August 1975.

The article focuses on the 1975 Seminar on Death Education held at the University of Rhode Island and its significant impact on the field of thanatology, or death studies. Organized by Dr. J. Eugene Knott, the weeklong seminar brought together educators and clinicians from diverse disciplines to advance the pedagogy and professionalization of death education through lectures, teaching exercises, and resource sharing. The seminar fostered interdisciplinary collaboration, peer support, and lasting professional relationships among participants, many of whom became influential contributors to thanatology. Additionally, it played a key role in the founding of the Forum for Death Education and Counseling, now known as ADEC (The Association for Death Education and Counseling), a major international organization for death educators and grief counselors.