Parsons College alumni contributed greatly to Fairfield School District

When Parsons College was at the height of its enrollment, the Education Department chaired by Dr. Cornell C. Clark, the education students would enter their senior year of college and be prepared to complete a semester of student teaching to complete their curriculum for graduation. The Fairfield Community School District was the obvious location, along with our neighboring districts of Cardinal, Pekin and Van Buren Schools to complete that student teaching experience.

Upon graduation those Parsons seniors would be ready to begin seeking full time jobs in education. As the retirement and attrition would be announced opportunities would be opened for a full-time teaching position. The impact of the Parsons College teachers has been felt for the past four or more decades on our Fairfield Community School District. At the time of closing in 1973, some of the Parsons Faculty Members moved to the Fairfield School District teaching staff.

You think about the number of elementary school buildings in Fairfield with Washington, Pence, Logan, Lincoln, Roosevelt along with Libertyville, Lockridge and Pleasant Plain in Jefferson County.

The following 56 teachers and administrators were part of that commitment to our Fairfield Community.

Parsons faculty and administrators; Foster Brenneman (FHS), Martha Flinspach (FMS), Victor Rail (FHS), Dr. Robert Tree (FHS), Vera Price Young (FHS).

Parsons graduates; Florence Balderson, Dan Breen (FHS), Gordon Brookhart (FHS), Pauline Yarnell Brush, Dan Buttery (FMS) Sue Bird Carr (Libertyville), Gay Chapman (FMS), Judith Schneider Cox, Bill Cummings (FHS), Harriett DeHaan, Dwaine Dooley (Washington), Jane Whitmore Dooley (Lincoln), Janet Farrier (Washington), Pat Smith Fiedler (Washington), Carol Church French, Cheryl Hostetler Fry, Evelyn Gamrath (FHS), Evelyn Gevock (Pleasant Plain), Sandy Whitaker Gillaspie (Washington), Becky Granneman.

Sandy Nelson Ham (Washington), Mary Margaret Horras, Ron Hunerdosse (FMS), Jane Vira Hunt (Libertyville), Art Hutton (FHS), Katie Hutton (FHS), Sally Rinehart Johnston (Washington), Alice Carris Johnston, Joanne Justman (Washington), Katherine Kann (Washington), Dorothy Kistler (Washington), Bill Moore (FMS), Sigred Stormyr Moore (Libertyville), Mary Buch Morrone, Ron Prill (FHS), Jane Adkisson Rowe (Washington) Mike Schneck (FHS), Marvin Septer (FMS), Mark Shafer (FHS).

Pearl Smith (FHS), Shirley Smith (Pence), Sharon Hudgell Stater (Washington), Susie Davis Steinbeck, Dick Unkrich (Pence), Carol Teeter Wells, Esther Parrett Whitaker, Judy Hollander White, Grace Whitham, Judith Whitmore, Joyce Berlin Witzenburg (FHS), Laurie Woody (Washington), Clauda Weston Worley (FHS).

A display has been established in the Parsons College Alumni Hall at the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center highlighting the above faculty and students. A special thanks for research assistance to Jane Rowe and Mark Shafer. A tip of the Parsons College Beanie to Kathy Tollenaere for photo editing.