JEANAE, Mary Jean (MURDOCK)
MURDOCK, JEANAE, MINOR
Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 1/17/2016 at 05:07:36
Biography ~ Mary Jean (Murdock) Jeanae
Graceland University, Lamoni, IowaMary Jean (Murdock) Jeanae was born in Portland, Oregon, on April 4, 1943, the daughter of Orson and Louise Marie (Minor) Murdock. Mary Jean's mother, Louise, taught English, history and directed Goldendale High School pay until she was elected Superintendent of Schools for Klickitat County [OR] in 1964.
Mary Jean has been one of the key leaders in expanding Graceland's teacher education program since she joined the faculty in 1975. The former Mary Jean Murdock (she changed her surname in 1988) graduated with a B.A. in elementary education at Graceland in 1965. She worked as an elementary school teacher in Kansas City and Independence, Missouri, before completing her M.Ed. in curriculum and reading from the University of Missouri in 1972. She resumed classroom duties as a reading specialist for three years in Mehlville, Missouri, before joining Graceland's faculty. Mary Jean completed her doctorate in education from the University of Northern Colorado in 1987.
Students entering the teaching field have known Mary Jean for her reading courses, in which she emphasizes both a traditional approach and a whole language method that has been applied in New Zealand. She was also one of the core instructors of the cooperative master's degree program that Graceland had with Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa, in the laste 1980's.
Mary Jean conputed to bring growth to the education program after assuming the role of department chair in 1990. She planned schedules and performed other organizational efforts as Graceland created partnership programs to offer an education major at Indian Hills Community College, North Central Missouri College and Southwestern Community College. As a sponsor of the Graceland Student Education Association for more than two decades, Mary Jean was awarded Sponsor of the Year honors in 1986 and 1993 from the Iowa Staff Education Association.
Mary Jean's cousin, Steve Murdock, joined Graceland's math faculty (1984) and eventually became Graceland's Ham Radio Club faculty sponsor.
Mary Jean resides in Lamoni, Iowa.
SOURCES: Edwards, Paul M. "The Hilltop Where. . . An Informal History of Graceland College." p. 130. Venture Foundation. Lamoni IA. 1972.
Goehner, David. "The Graceland College Book of Knowledge: From A To Z." Pp. 419-20. Herald House. Independence MO. 1997.
Louise Marie (Minor) Murdock obituary
Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, December of 2015
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