Reading Educator Emeriti Scholarship

Four reading faculty emeriti established the Reading Educator Emeriti Scholarship to support the teaching of literacy within the Department of Education and Human Development at SUNY Brockport. The four are Thelma Vinal Brown, associate professor emerita; Mary I. Luskey, assistant professor emerita; Hazel C. Rency, associate professor emerita, and Dr. Frances Moroney Whited, professor emerita. In addition, the family of associate professor emeritus Ross M. Clark have contributed funds to this scholarship.

Thelma Vinal Brown came to Brockport as a faculty member in the general education program in the 1950s. During her time on the faculty, she was active with the Eastern States Association of Professional Schools for Teachers, and she was instrumental in founding the Brockport Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, the national education honorary organization. Mary Luskey ’37 taught in the Greece School District and then joined the faculty of the Campus School and the of the College’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction. She earned her master’s degree in 1951, specializing in teaching reading methods, and she served as director of the Campus School from 1950 until she retired in 1983. She passed away in 1999.

While she was a student, Hazel Rency ’49 was on the permanent dean’s list and served as business manager for The Stylus. After her graduation, she joined the Brockport faculty in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction where she became an associate professor. She also was an active member of the Brockport Alumni Association. Dr. Frances Moroney Whited graduated from Oswego, earned her master’s degree at Catholic University of America, Washington, DC., and earned her doctorate at Penn State University. She founded the reading teacher’s master’s program at the College and set a professional standard of excellence in literacy education. She also was a founding member of the Brockport Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, honorary organization in education. Dr. Whited passed away in 2015.

Before attending Brockport, Dr. Ross M. Coxe ’49 served in the U.S. Army during World War II. After graduation, he made significant contributions to the education profession. In 1963, he joined the Department of Elementary School Principals for the National Education Association, and in 1970, he became associate executive secretary for that organization. He passed away in 1972.

This scholarship makes two awards annually. Students who qualify for the first award must be accepted graduate students in the Department of Education and Human Development at the College and have a teaching certificate in either childhood or adolescent education. Applicants must also document success in teaching literacy as a student teacher or in other structured environments.

The second award goes to a graduate of bachelor’s program in education with certification in either childhood or adolescent education at Brockport. Applicants for this award must demonstrate the promise of future success, involvement in professional development, and engagement in work outside the classroom. Preference for this award will go to a currently employed teacher.