Robert Docter, an American educator and former member of the Los Angeles Board of Education, died on November 3, 2025, at age 97.
He was a professor at California State University, Northridge, and served on the board during a tenure marked by his leadership in abolishing corporal punishment in the Los Angeles Unified School District and his support for court-ordered mandatory busing to achieve racial integration. Docter was also a longtime lay leader in the Salvation Army and the founding editor of New Frontier Publications.
Robert Lloyd Docter (July 20, 1928 – November 3, 2025) was an American educator, professor at California State University, Northridge, and member of the Los Angeles Board of Education. During his tenure on the board, he led the initiative to abolish corporal punishment in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and supported court-ordered mandatory busing to achieve racial integration. He was also a longtime lay leader in the Salvation Army and the founding editor of New Frontier Publications.