Samuel G. Sava, who led the National Association of Elementary School Principals for nearly two decades, died Sept. 27 in Fairfax, Va. Mr. Sava, 77, died of complications from prostate cancer, according to his family.
Mr. Sava, who was born in Farrell, Pa., was an elementary school teacher and a principal in his hometown and later became a principal in Prince George’s County, Md. In 1963, he began working as the executive director of the division of elementary and secondary education programs in the federal Department of Health, Education and Welfare, and later moved on to several other positions in the U.S. Office of Education.
During his time as executive director of the Alexandria, Va.-based principals’ association, from 1981 to 1999, the organization more than doubled its membership, from 12,500 to 27,500, and developed a series of standards for school principals. He also helped create the organization’s National Distinguished Principals program in 1984.
A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Mr. Sava will be buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery in December.
