Henry A. Bern came to the United States at the age of five and settled with his parents in Brooklyn, New York. He attended Thomas Jefferson High School and re- ceived a bachelor's degree in biology from Brooklyn College in 1937. He was a com- munications officer in the Army Air Corps during World War Il; and in the following years he was a communications supervisor with the Veterans Administration. In 1958 hebecame an Associate Professor in the School of Education and Head of the newly- created Research Department of the Audio-Visual Center. In this capa- city he instituted anew direction for Audio-Visual Communications, toward instruc- tional technology and instructional communications systems. He led in the recrui- ting of several additional educational, social, and experimental psychologists as faculty colleagues. His own research included what was apparently the first use of the video- tape recorder in teacher training. He introduced courses in programmed instruction, instructional development, research methods, and computer-assisted instruction. He offered the first course combining the resources of the Independent Study Division, the Indiana Higher Education Telecommunications Service, and the computer labora- tories. These instances of breaking new ground came to characterize his career. For a seven-year period Professor Bern was Associate Dean of Continuing Studies and Director of Independent Study, serving also for one year as Acting Dean.