Education was a lifelong passion for school director, author, and consultant Harvey Sperling, who died February 27 at age eighty-two.

A longtime Nashvillian, Sperling was a trusted member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Education Council for more than twenty years, advising on free educational programming which reaches more 100,000 participants each year.

Sperling formerly held positions as Headmaster of the University School of Milwaukee, and as Director of the University School of Nashville. He joined the latter in 1979, four years after the school spun off independently from its former operator, Peabody College, and he continued in that role until July 1990.

“Harvey tirelessly championed educational excellence—both in traditional classrooms and community education environments, “ said Kyle Young, CEO of the Museum. “Through his decades of local and national service, Harvey supported the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s efforts to design, implement, and evaluate educational offerings capable of bettering students’ lives. He believed our work made a difference, and he encouraged us to create meaningful programs to ensure it did. His consummate counsel, encouragement, and friendship will be deeply missed.”

Beyond his administrative roles, he continued to teach and advise students throughout his career, offering lectures and conducting seminars on art, history, and culture. In 2000, he returned to Nashville and was invited by Ken Roberts to join the Frist Foundation, where he served as Program Officer for Education.

In recent years, in addition to his advisory role with the Museum, he served as consultant to the Education Department at Belmont University and the School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt University, on the Board of Directors of Palmer Trinity School (Episcopal) in Miami, Florida, the National Board of Advisors for the Episcopal School of Nashville, and the Board of Directors of Equal Chance for Education.