P. David Pearson: key obituary facts
Is P. David Pearson dead? Yes. P. David Pearson died on August 30, 2026, at age 85.
Cause of death: P. David Pearson's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was P. David Pearson known for?
He was an American reading and literacy scholar.
More about P. David Pearson
Born: 1 January 1941.
Gender: male.
Occupation: literary scholar, editor.
P.
David Pearson, an American literary scholar and reading and literacy scholar, died on August 30, 2026, aged 85. He was professor emeritus in the School of Education at the University of California, Berkeley, where he served as dean from 2001 to 2010.
Pearson was elected to the National Academy of Education in 2003 and received the Alan Purves Award from the National Council of Teachers of English in 2004. In 2026, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. His work focused on reading comprehension, reading assessment and the historical and policy dimensions of literacy education.