Secretary of the Interior Stewart L. Udall announced today that Charles N. Zellers, Deputy Associate Commissioner, Bureau of Elementary and Secondary Education in the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, has been named Assistant Commissioner for Education in the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Udall said that he and Indian Commissioner Robert L. Bennett believe that Zellers "is the kind of administrator the Bureau needs to fulfill President Johnson's mandate that we provide every Indian child and youth the finest quality education program possible." The Secretary pointed out that "more than one-half of the budget and more than one-half of the total number of employees in the BIA are involved in educational programs."
Zellers, 49, was born in Columbiana, Ohio and received a BA degree from Youngstown University. He also has a Master's Degree in Business Administration from the University of Pennsylvania and a certificate from the Harvard Graduate School of Business.
After serving as Assistant Professor in the School of Business Administration at Youngstown University, Zellers was named Deputy Superintendent for the District of Columbia School system in 1951. In that position he worked on fiscal, administrative and legislative activities. In November, 1957, he was appointed Comptroller for the University of Pittsburgh.
Zellers joined the staff of the Office of Education in the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare in 1960 as Executive Officer, Division of State and Local Schools. He was promoted to Deputy Associate Commissioner in 1966.
He has worked with the Elementary and Secondary Education Act programs, the Educational Television Facilities Act program, the implementation of the National Defense Education Act, the National Teacher Corps and a wide variety of administrative programs involving legislative policy, church-state relations, interagency activities and state and local school policy coordination.
He received a quality salary increase in 1964, and an HEW Superior Service award in 1965.
A veteran of Navy service during World War II, Zellers lives in Alexandria, VA with his wife and 4 children.
Zellers will assume his new duties September 3.
