Micheline and Bill Steckman¬—Lifelong Teachers and Their Legacy for Students

Bill and Micheline Steckman, Jones Beach, 1960

Micheline and Bill Steckman met as NYU undergraduates, married, earned a combined five NYU degrees, and spent the next 64 years together. Over those years, their marriage led to an enduring interest in teaching and travel.

Micheline (WSC ’52, GSAS ’54) was born in Paris and immigrated to the United States just after World War II. She earned Phi Beta Kappa recognition at NYU and became a scholar of French literature. Her lifelong passion was to foster interest in French culture by teaching French to students of all ages.

Bill (WSC ’52, GSAS ’56, Stern Ph.D. ’67) held administrative and faculty positions in the graduate business program of NYU and a visiting professorship at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and was a longtime professor of management and organizational behavior at Long Island University. He also served as a human resource consultant to leading business organizations and government agencies.

The author of Taming One-on-One Conflict, Bill spoke widely on the topic of conflict resolution. After his retirement from higher education as professor emeritus at LIU, Bill satisfied his thirst for travel by teaching in numerous Elderhostel (now “Road Scholar”) programs. Ultimately, the couple visited all 50 states and 25 countries.

Micheline and Bill long resided on Long Island and shared a love of the water. For decades they lived in Massapequa on the South Shore and more recently in Greenport on the North Shore; they have always lived within the sound of the surf.

Micheline passed away early in 2015, and Bill recently confirmed their joint commitment to leave a substantial legacy to support fellowships—fellowships in French literature and culture at the Graduate School of Arts and Science and doctoral fellowships at the Stern School of Business that will bear their names.

As Bill remarked, “Both of us always felt that we owed a lot to the University—our careers, our livelihood, and the actual sharing of our personal lives in a devoted marriage. So we wanted a truly meaningful way to express our gratitude to NYU. We concluded that the best way to accomplish that goal would be through supporting fellowships in our respective fields. Such a legacy makes it possible for future generations of deserving students to attend NYU’s graduate programs and enrich their lives as we did.”

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