Press Release - 2002 Inductee Announcement

May 7, 2002/NTHF
CONTACT: Marilyn Helms (620) 341-9131

The National Teachers Hall of Fame Announces 2002 Inductees.

May 7, National Teacher Day Brings Recognition to Five Stellar Teachers.

EMPORIA, Kan. -- "Never stop learning." "Raise the bar." "There's nothing you can't do!" What teachers touched you with their enthusiasm? Pushed you with their optimism?

Today, National Teacher Day, five teachers from across the country will learn they have been selected for induction into The National Teachers Hall of Fame. The teachers will be honored at SURPRISE recognition ceremonies in their respective school districts. Representatives from The National Teachers Hall of Fame and its corporate sponsors (The Horace Mann Companies, Pearson Education's Scott Foresman and Prentice Hall, Herff Jones, Inc. and Successories) will join state and local educational leaders at an assembly or reception in each inductee's school district to make the announcement and to congratulate the teachers, who represent the best in the teaching profession.

The National Teachers Hall of Fame Class of 2002 includes the following educators: Lisa Zahn Crooks, a fourth grade teacher at Black Bob Elementary School in Olathe, KS; Janice Gould, an art teacher at Lawrence Hall Youth Services in Chicago, IL; Dana K. Kelly, a language arts/math gifted teacher at Southwest Elementary School in Lakeland, FL; E. May (Pat) Lindquist, a retired teacher with 54 years experience teaching K-12 in the Ell-Saline School District, KS; Jane Bray Nelson, a physics teacher at University High School in Orlando, FL.

BIOS AND MORE INFO

Bios and additional information on The National Teachers Hall of Fame 2002 Inductees will be provided on-site during the recognition ceremonies or through the Hall of Fame web site, www.nthf.org (after May 7). To obtain biographical information prior to May 7, please call the Hall of Fame at 1-800-96-TEACH or (620) 341-9131. A list of current Hall of Fame members, a fact sheet about the Hall of Fame, and schedules for the 11th Annual Induction Celebration also may be obtained on the web site or by calling the Hall of Fame.

SELECTION

Members of the National Selection Committee reviewed and evaluated nominations from the United States and its territories. Committee members, representing educational organizations, corporate America and NTHF membership, met Marfch 26-27 in Washington, DC to select the five teachers who will be inducted into the NTHF this July. Nominees must be certified public or non-public schoolteachers, active or retired, with at least 20 years of experience in teaching grades preK-12.

INDUCTION

The National Teachers Hall of Fame will welcome its newest five members during induction ceremonies July 9-10 in Washington, DC and July 11-13 in Emporia, Kansas. In addition to receiving an all-expence paid trip, inductees are immortalized at the NTHF in a gallery of plaques, photographs and teaching materials from the inductees's career. They also receive a $1,000 stipend from The Horace Mann Companies (Springfield, IL) and a $1,000 college scholarship presented by The Horace Mann Companies to a student in the inductee's school district; $1,000 in educational materials from Scott Foresman (Glenview, IL) or Prentice Hall (Upper Saddle River, NJ); a signet ring and lapel pin presented by Herff Jones, Inc. (Indianapolis, IN); $1,000 in products from Successories (Aurora, IL); and other gifts and momentos. Since the inaugural induction ceremonies in 1992, 50 educators from 25 states have been inducted. This year's class of inductees represents the 11th anniversary of NTHF induction ceremonies.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL TEACHERS HALL OF FAME

The National Teachers Hall of Fame (NTHF) was founded at Emporia, KS in 1989 to honor preK-12 teachers and the teaching profession through a recognition program, museum, and conference and resource center. The NTHF has been endorsed by every major professional education organization. Annual induction recognition takes place in Washington, DC and Emporia, KS. Since the inaugural induction ceremonies in 1992, 50 educators from 25 states have been inducted. Nominees must be certified public or non-public schoolteachers, active or retired, with at least 20 years of experience in teaching grades preK-12.

ABOUT NATIONAL TEACHER DAY

The National Education Association (NEA) and the National PTA established National Teacher Appreciation Week as the first full week of May. National Teacher Day, a time for honoring teachers and recognizing the lasting contributions they make to our lives, is always the Tuesday of the first full week of May.