Stan Charnofsky
Stan Charnofsky was an American psychologist, educator, and former professional baseball player. He was a professor and administrator at California State University, Northridge for over five decades, helping to build the university's Educational Psychology and Counseling programs. Before transitioning into academia, Charnofsky had a collegiate and professional 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.
Early life and education
Stanley Charnofsky and his identical twin brother, Harold, 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, where they played baseball under legendary coach Rod Dedeaux. Charnofsky was an All-Pacific Coast Conference first-team selection and co-captain of the USC baseball team.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 and an Ed.D. in Counseling Psychology, both from USC.
Baseball career
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.Charnofsky later transitioned into coaching, becoming head coach of the CSUN Matadors baseball team from 1962 to 1966. In 1965, he led the Matadors to their first conference championship 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.
Academic career
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 program, now known as Marriage and Family Therapy. He served as Chair of the Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, Director of the CSUN Educational Opportunities Program, and was a pivotal figure in supporting minority students during the campus protests of 1968.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.