1969 Award Winners

Biographies below were included in the program for the year listed here and were current as of that time.

Alex A. Daughtry

Professor and Director, University of Denver School of Education

Former Chair, Teacher Education, Kansas State Teachers College

Usually only seven Master Teacher Awards are made annually. Occasionally, however, the Selection Committee has seen fit to make an additional special award to someone whom they believe is greatly deserving of the honor but who may not have been "officially" nominated.

Such an award is presented this year to Dr. Alex Daughtry, former Chairman of the Division of Teacher Education at the Kansas State Teachers College and since last year professor and director of the University of Denver School of Education. Dr. Daughtry, who was Chairman of the Division of Teacher Education at the Teachers College from 1958 to 1968, worked tirelessly and effectively on the Master Teacher Awards program. At its inception in 1954 he was Director of Field Services and was responsible for the placement of graduating seniors and alumni, extension classes, correspondence study, and alumni affairs.

Dr. Daughtry earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Education from KSTC in 1936. He received a mas ter's degree from KSTC in 1949 and was awarded a Doctor of Education Degree from the University of Colorado in 1946. He taught for a year in Burr Oak, Kansas, and then was a newswriter for the Civic Education Service in Washington, D. C., from 1937 to 1940. He taught at Bonner Springs High School for a year - 1940-41 - then was a personnel officer in the National Youth Administration from 1941 to 1942. He served four years in the U. S. Army during World War II. He was Placement Director and Alumni Secretary at KSTC from 1946 to 1954.

In 1967 Dr. Daughtry was appointed to a three-year term on the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. In March and April of 1967 he was invited by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education to participate in a tour of Yugoslavia.

Kelso Deer

Guidance Counselor and Director of Reading

Hoisington High School

USD 431 Hoisington

Kelso Deer, Guidance Counselor and Director of Reading at Hoisington High School, has in 31 years worked in many phases of education. He has been an elementary teacher, junior high and high school teacher, a principal, and a superintendent. His superintendent, Walter L. Smith, writes that Mr. Deer felt that he could most closely relate with youth and help them witl1 their problems by working in the areas of guidance and counseling.

A graduate of Kansas State College of Pittsburg with undergraduate and graduate degrees earned in 1938 and 1947, Mr. Deer has also done graduate work at Wyoming University, Wichita University, Fort Hays Kansas State College, the Kansas State Teachers College, Emporia, and Kansas University. Of his 31 years in education he spent 18 years in Butler County, 10 years in Barton County, two years in Montgomery County and one year in Wilson County. He joined the faculty of Hoisington High School in 1959.

His list of civic activities is long and varied. He has served as President of the Augusta City Teachers Association, President of the Augusta Lions Club and was a delegate of the Augusta City Teachers Association. He has also been President of the Hoisington Lions Club and is serving his second term on the Board of Directors of the Kansas State Teachers Association. He was a member of Governor Robert Docking's Citizen Committee to study education in 1968.

Mr. Deer served in tl1e Kansas Legislature under Governors Arn, Hall and Docking and achieved an enviable record.

Marguerite Hackney

English Teacher

Iola Senior High School

USD 257 Iola

Interest and concern for students within the classroom and an active participation in community activities has marked the 22-year teaching record of Miss Marguerite Hackney at Iola Senior High School. She had taught for 20 years before coming to Iola in a rural school in Cherokee County, and at Chetopa, Oswego, and Riverton High Schools. Her teaching skills have endeared her to students throughout this 42-year career and her many contributions to civic and professional activities have earned great respect for her.

A graduate of Cherokee County Community High School, she holds bachelor's and master's degrees from Kansas State College of Pittsburg and has also done graduate work at Kansas State University. She has taught English for the past 20 years and tangible evidence of her classroom effectiveness is shown in the many writing awards won by her students in essay contests such as the one sponsored by The Governor's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped, the Masonic Writing Contest on Americanism and others. A colleague says the material gains which her students win such as scholarships and trips are far overshadowed by the educational gains in writing ability, an appreciation of our American heritage, and a compassionate understanding of the plight of the handicapped. Outside the classroom Miss Hackney has been responsible for the Kayette program in Iola for 21 years and for the local Quill and Scroll.

She is also active in the local Kansas State Teachers Association and National Education Association and has held every office in the local organization and has been a voting delegate to the NEA convention twice. Membership in other organizations including the Business and Professional Women's Federation - for which she is now State Youth Chairman - church work, participation in community and county organizations and other groups indicate there is no limit to the depth or breadth of her interest.

Joe W. Ostenberg

Superintendent

USD 418 McPherson

Under the leadership of Superintendent of Schools Joe W. Ostenberg, McPherson has seen a great deal of progress. Since he joined the school system there in 1957 Mr. Ostenberg has initiated programs, upgraded the quality of instruction and facilities an<l built a new high school. In the meantime, he has been active in civic and state-wide activities, has built a fine record as an individual and has earned the respect of his associates.

Born in Marquette, Kansas, he attended Bethany College and graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1924. In 1933 he received a master's degree from the University of Kansas and since then has done graduate work at the University of Southern California and has attended school building workshops at Stanford University. He started his teaching career at Ford, Kansas, where he was a teacher and coach and later Superintendent of Schools. From 1935 to 1946 he was Superintendent at Ellinwood, Kansas, and from 1946 to 1957 at Iola, Kansas.

Under his leadership, McPherson schools have seen curriculum improvement in all areas, special features such as hot lunches and guidance counselors have been introduced, a new high school was built which has been used as a model throughout the country, and school unification was achieved with a minimum of problems. He is active in such professional organizations as the Kansas State Teachers Association where he served as President, county teachers associations, chairman of the legislative committee of the Kansas Association of School Administrators, and in 1956 received a special award for Distinguished Service in Education from Bethany College.

Theodore R. Palmquist

Director of Federal Projects

USD 202 Turner

Mr. Theodore R. Palmquist, Director of Federal Projects for Turner Unified School District No. 202 in Kansas City, Kansas, has served three school districts and one college during his educational career. He has been a teacher and superintendent at Bluff City Kansas, served similar roles at Wellsville, Kansas, and has been superintendent, principal, teacher and now Director of Federal Projects for the Turner School District. In addition to his teaching and administrative services in public schools, Mr. Palmquist has taught during summer sessions at Ottawa University.

He is a 1925 graduate of Ottawa University and in 1932 received a master's degree from the University of Kansas.

Throughout his career he has always reflected a deep interest and concern for education, its processes, its influence, and its advancement. The degree of involvement to which he has committed himself covers a spectrum from the individual as a student, a parent, or a teacher to the national level as a member of the National Education Association Board of Directors.

Mr. Palmquist has been an innovator in many areas as well as a teacher and administrator. Twenty years ago he established one of the very early guidance programs in Kansas high schools. Many schools have patterned their new high schools around the Turner High School Mr. Palmquist helped plan. He also pioneered in Kansas a Royal McBee Key Sort System of grade reporting and student enrolling and programming.

Besides his teaching and administrative duties, Mr. Palmquist keeps actively involved in civic and national affairs. He is active in professional organizations, was a member of the Kansas State High School Principal's Association Executive Committee, is a member of the Kansas State Teachers Association Legislative Committee and has served on the Wyandotte County Social Planning Council for Health and Welfare, the United Community Fund and Council Executive Committee and in many other positions.

Maxine Sebelius

Secondary Guidance Counselor

USD 212 Northern Valley Schools

In the words of her Superintendent, Duane G. Sloan, Miss Maxine Sebelius has "performed above and beyond the call of duty" as a teacher of English, social science, vocal and instrumental music at Almena High School and now as secondary guidance counselor in the Northern Valley Schools.

A graduate of Almena Rural High School, she returned to her alma mater in 1944 after receiving a bachelor's degree from Fort Hays Kansas State College. She taught also at Upland, Nebraska, and in Willis, Kansas. She received a master's degree from the University of Kansas in 1961 and has done graduate work in History there and at Washburn University and has studied Library Science at the University of Utah.

A fellow teacher of Miss Sebelius has said of her: "She is highly respected and gives freely of her time to the church, clubs and other activities. As a teacher she is not only capable and well educated in her field but also is enthusiastic and joyful in her work.

Miss Sebelius comes from a family of teachers. Her mother, sister, s1ster-m-law and several nieces have been or are now teachers. A teacher herself. for 29 years, she is slowly relinquishing her teaching assignments to perform the duties of secondary guidance counselor.

Her list of the state and county honors is long and impressive and memberships in honorary groups, professional organizations civic and religious organizations keep her busy throughout the year.

Joy Wigginton

First Year Students' Teacher

Grandview School

USD 490 El Dorado

Miss Joy Wigginton never intended to teach but she's been doing just that for the past 46 years. The teacher from El Dorado came from a long line of teachers but didn't think she wanted to be one herself. She tried bookkeeping and working in downtown El Dorado, the city in which she grew up, but decided that was too monotonous and turned to teaching after all. She now teaches first year students in the ungraded Grandview School in El Dorado.

She has spent 44 years teaching in the El Dorado elementary schools. She began teaching just north of Lake El Dorado at the old No. 2 school. In 1925 she was transferred to Lincoln School in the city where she taught third grade classes for 29 years. In 1932 she received her bachelor's degree from the Kansas State Teachers College, Emporia. Since then she has done graduate work at KSTC. Ending her long tenure at Lincoln School, Miss Wigginton moved to Skelly School, then to the old Jefferson building and finally to Grandview. She switched from third grade teaching to first year students.

Throughout her 46 years of teaching, Miss Wigginton has instilled her pupils with a quest for knowledge, a respect for self discipline, and an awareness of good manners. She has earned the admiration of the children, parents and other teachers.

Her Superintendent, Gerald S. Franklin, says Miss Wigginton is a Master Teacher because she "has a concern for all youth, is committed to helping every child become a happy, trained, self-respecting individual, is effective, has courage to fight for better methods and improved material, is a professional, and her character is above reproach."

Lonnie N. Wood

Superintendent

USD 446 Independence

Since beginning his education in a one-room rural school in Neosho County, Lonnie N. Wood has advanced to the job of Superintendent of Schools of Unified School District No. 446 at Independence. He started his teaching career in the fall of 1925 at Morehead where he was 7th and 8th grade teacher, principal of the elementary school and high school basketball coach. He then went to Altamont, later became County Superintendent of Labette County Schools, joined Field Kindley Memorial High School in Coffeyville in 1941 and in 1944 joined the Independence Junior High School as Principal. He was named Superintendent of Schools there in 1954.

During the summer of 1926, and for many summers thereafter, Mr. Wood attended summer school and in 1939 enrolled as a regular student at Kansas State College of Pittsburg. He received his degree in 1940 and in 1941 earned a master's degree. He has since studied at Colorado State College and the University of 'Wyoming.

In addition to his duties as a teacher and administrator, Mr. Wood has found time for many activities with the community and his church. He has been active with the Boy Scouts, the Lions Club, the Kansas State and Independence Chambers of Commerce, the Kansas Council on Economic Education and in many seminars and conferences.

Comments about Mr. Wood from colleagues were typified by this one: "He possesses unusual ability. He has a sound personal and educational philosophy. He has been endowed with a personality that radiates enthusiasm and confidence."

His educational associates are fond of pointing out the progress made in the Independence Unified School District under his leadership.