February 10, 2009
Bowling
Green, Ky. - Five outstanding educators were inducted Tuesday as the second class of the Gov. Louie
B. Nunn Kentucky Teacher Hall of Fame.
The five inducted at the Capitol Rotunda in Frankfort are Theresa Cowherd of Bowling Green, Dale Faughn of Fredonia, Jessie Pearl Comer Jackson of Gamaliel, Hilda Willis Jenkins of Bowling Green and Rosemary Weddington of Frankfort.
This year’s class of inductees, chosen by a statewide selection committee, possesses a total of 217.5 years teaching children and adolescents in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and spans the years from the Depression to the current year.
“It is fitting that we conduct this ceremony in the Rotunda of our state’s Capitol as our elected officials meet to chart the course for our future,” WKU President Gary Ransdell said. “Clearly, Governor Beshear and the members of the Kentucky General Assembly place a high value on education, and I firmly believe that education is the key to a better Kentucky.”
The Kentucky Teacher Hall of Fame was created in 2000 through a gift by former Gov. Nunn, who hoped to recognize the vital role that primary and secondary teachers in Kentucky play in the education of young people and the positive impact education has on the state’s economy. WKU was selected as the home of the Kentucky Teacher Hall of Fame because of its 100-year history in teacher education.
“As a university president, I am well aware of the impact primary and secondary teachers have in preparing students for the next level of education,” Dr. Ransdell said. “Students who benefit from the instruction of teachers such as those we are honoring today have a greater chance of success when they reach the college campus.
“And as taxpayers and as citizens of the Commonwealth, we all have a vested interest in the educational success of our students.”
Steve Nunn said his father always believed that “education is the best investment in Kentucky’s future.”
As he recognized the grandsons of former WKU coach Jim Richards, Nunn said young people “represent everything my dad was committed to in public education.”
First lady Jane Beshear, a former teacher, represented her husband at Tuesday’s induction. “We need to recognize that education is the foundation of the future,” she said.
Of all the honors and recognitions bestowed in Kentucky, “there is no better hall of fame than the teacher hall of fame,” Beshear said. “We thank you all for the commitment you have made to the youth of Kentucky.”
House Speaker Greg Stumbo and Senate President David Williams congratulated the inductees for their years of service and thanked them and all teachers for the impact they have on Kentucky and the nation.
As part of the induction, the honorees were introduced on the House and Senate floors and attended in a luncheon held in their honor.
Theresa Cowherd
Cowherd has taught for 34 years in Bowling Green schools. She was a teacher at Dishman-McGinnis Elementary from 1972 to 1978 and at Parker-Bennett-Curry Elementary from 1980 to present.
She received her bachelor’s degree in 1972, master’s degree in 1974, and Rank I certification in 1976; all from WKU.
Cowherd’s awards and honors include being the first African-American named Teacher of the Year in the Bowling Green school district and receiving the district’s Beyond the Call Award for her contributions to the teaching profession. She also was named the 2008 recipient of the Martin Luther King Jr. Teachers of Distinction Award and has received teaching awards from Campbellsville University and Murray State University.
The hall of fame honor “is something I’ll cherish for the rest of my life,” she said.
Cowherd has no thoughts of retiring yet. “I love working with children. I love helping children succeed,” she said. “I can’t imagine doing anything else.”
Dale Faughn
A fixture in Caldwell County school system for 58 years, Faughn has no plans to retire. He teaches biology at Caldwell County High School.
A native of Lamasco, he received his bachelor’s degree in 1949, master’s in 1958, and Rank I in 1961; all from Murray State University.
Faughn was named Teacher of the Year in 1996 by the Kentucky Department of Education and was among the first five individuals selected for the National Teacher Hall of Fame in 1998. He received the USA Today 2002 All-USA Teacher Team Award as well as numerous other local, state, and national awards during his teaching career.
Faughn said he was humbled by Tuesday’s recognition. “It reminded me how important teaching is,” he said.
“I felt very pleased. I felt humble. I feel that so many people are deserving,” Faughn said. “This is good for all teachers across the state.”
Jessie Pearl Comer Jackson
A native of Gamaliel, Jackson spent 39½ years teaching in the Monroe County schools.
She began her career in the 1930s at one-teacher and two-teacher schools at Rocky Point, Crowe, Avondale, and Sugar Grove. From 1941 to 1973, she taught at Gamaliel Elementary with the majority of time in second grade. Failure was not an option in Mrs. Jackson’s classes.
She received her teaching certification in 1930 at age 18 from Western Kentucky Teacher’s College, received her life teaching certificate in 1936, and her bachelor’s degree in 1956 from WKU.
“I was blessed to be a teacher, to teach the young children cause I loved them so and they loved me,” Jackson said after the ceremony.
Hilda Willis Jenkins
Jenkins, a native of Columbia, retired in 1988 after 31 years as a teacher in Russellville and Warren County schools.
She is a graduate of Lindsey Wilson College and received her bachelor’s degree from Union College and master’s from WKU. Jenkins taught at Russellville High School from 1957-59, North Warren High School from 1959-69, and Warren East High School from 1969-88.
Jenkins taught mathematics and music and also worked with school groups such as 4-H, cheerleaders, and drill team and has served as a leader in the Kentucky Education Association. In 1981, she was named outstanding alumnus of Lindsey Wilson College.
“I feel like we’re a small representation of teachers who work hard every day and make an impact on all students in the Commonwealth,” Jenkins said.
Rosemary Weddington
Weddington, a native of Pineville, spent 55 years as a Spanish teacher.
She received her bachelor’s degree from Berea College and her master’s degree and Rank I from Eastern Kentucky University.
Weddington taught at Pineville High School from 1953-54, Bell County High School from 1954-55, and Franklin County High School from 1955-88. Since 1988, she has served in numerous roles including Spanish professor and instructor at Kentucky State University, Berea College, and Eastern Kentucky University.
She has received numerous awards and honors, including Kentucky Teacher of the Year in 1987, Eastern Kentucky University Distinguished Alumna in 1987, Berea College Distinguished Alumna in 1992, and National Secondary Spanish Teacher of the Year in 1988.
“This honor today is beyond my wildest or best dreams ever,” Weddington said.
“To teach is one of the greatest professions there is,” she said. “To receive an award for teaching is a wonderful thing.”
More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu and at http://wkunews.wordpress.com/. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.
For information, contact College of Education at (270) 745-4664.
-WKU-
"A leading American university with international reach"
Office of Media Relations
Western Kentucky University
1906 College Heights Blvd., Bowling Green, Ky. 42101-3576
Phone: (270)745-4295 - Fax: (270)7455387 - E-Mail: western@wku.edu