Throughout his career, Schanck worked and consulted with city planners, and he was one of the organizers of the Institute of Experimental Method, devoted to the ideas of Edgar Singer.
The Schanck family was known to be proud of their Daughters of the American Revolution and Dutch and English heritage, but their son was more interested in ideas and academics.
[citation needed] After finishing his Ph.D. at Syracuse University under Floyd H. Allport,[6] Schanck moved his family to Oxford England (1933–1934) to continue his study of rural communities.
In the 1940s the ACLU was caught up in the "Red Scare," and Schanck's helping organize steel and auto workers was considered by some as a communist activity.
Along with seven others, he was indicted for absconding with a compromised ballot box[8][9] and spent that year at the Ohio State Penitentiary, where he was able to work on a book.
In 1946–1952 the Schancks resided in Solon, OH and he became good friends with Drs Russell Ackoff and C. West Churchman.
In 1960–1963 Schanck was instrumental in helping to organize the Center for Appalachian Studies and Development at West Virginia University.
[citation needed] Schanck consulted with the City Planning to the Planning Commissions of Philadelphia, Cleveland and Detroit, with the West Virginia Democratic State Executive Committee and the National Outdoor Resources Review Committee and the State Senate.
[citation needed] In May 1946, Schanck helped organize for the Institute of Experimental Method the "Conference on Measurement of Consumer Interest" with several of Edgar A.
At the Oberlin meeting, Aaron Horowitz of the Cleveland Planning Commission raised the question of how the Institute could be of help to planners and architects, and was provided a response by Russ Ackoff.
Participants included Frank Weise, architect, Sheila Spaulding, planner, Edwards Deming marketing expert, and Charles M. Goodman, psychologist and the Federation of Settlement Houses.