Stan Charnofsky

Stan Charnofsky (1931–2024) was an American psychologist, educator, and former professional baseball player. He was a professor and administrator at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) for over five decades, significantly shaping the university's Educational Psychology and Counseling programs. Before transitioning into academia, Charnofsky had a notable baseball career, including playing in the minor leagues for affiliates of the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers. He was also the head coach of the CSUN Matadors baseball team from 1962 to 1966. Charnofsky was inducted into the CSUN Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016.

Stanley Charnofsky and his identical twin brother, Harold (Hal), were born on July 11, 1931 in Trenton, New Jersey, to immigrant Jewish parents from Ukraine. The family later moved to Los Angeles, where Charnofsky attended Abraham Lincoln High School. He and his brother both received academic scholarships to the University of Southern California (USC), where they played baseball under legendary coach Rod Dedeaux.^[1][2] Charnofsky was an All-Pacific Coast Conference first-team selection and co-captain of the USC baseball team.^[3][4][5]

Charnofsky earned his B.S. in Physical Education from USC in 1953, followed by an M.S. in Physical Education in 1958. He later completed an M.Ed. in Counseling (1961) and an Ed.D. in Counseling Psychology (1965), both from USC.^[6][7][3][4]

After graduating from USC, Charnofsky signed with the New York Yankees and played seven seasons in the minor leagues, including stints with the Binghamton Triplets and Augusta Tigers. He set an Eastern League double-play record and was briefly called up to the majors. During his career, he also served in the United States Air Force for two years.^[8][3][4][9]

Charnofsky later transitioned into coaching, becoming head coach of the CSUN Matadors baseball team (then San Fernando Valley State College) from 1962 to 1966. In 1965, he led the Matadors to their first conference championship (in the California Collegiate Athletic Association) and had several players drafted into Major League Baseball. Sportscaster Dick Enberg was Charnofsky's assistant coach at CSUN early in his tenure as head coach.^{[10][6][7][3][9]}

Following his baseball career, Charnofsky became a faculty member at CSUN, where he contributed to the field of counseling psychology. In 1970, he founded the Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling (MFCC) program, now known as Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT). He served as Chair of the Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, Director of the CSUN Educational Opportunities Program (EOP), and was a pivotal figure in supporting minority students during the campus protests of 1968.^{[11][12][13][3]}

Charnofsky also founded the MFCC/MFT Alumni Network and the Center in Educational Psychology’s Workshop Program in 1983. His teaching and mentorship earned him the CSUN Distinguished Teaching Award in 2016. He retired from his faculty position in 2021 at the age of 89.^[3]

Charnofsky was a strong proponent of Humanistic Psychology and the concept of unconditional positive regard. He authored multiple books and academic texts, including Educating the Powerless (1972), When Women Leave Men: How Men Feel, How Men Heal (1992), The Deceived Society (2005), and Therapy with Couples: A Humanistic Approach (2006). He also wrote over 30 novels, short stories, and articles exploring psychological themes.^[3]

Charnofsky was married to Norene Moore, and together they had three children.^[3]

A scholarship was established in Charnofsky's name at CSUN to support students pursuing careers in education, psychology, and counseling.^[3]

Charnofsky died on December 29, 2024, at the age of 93.^[3][4]

• Interview with Stanley Charnofsky in 1991 at California State University, Northridge