National Teachers Hall of Fame
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NATIONAL TEACHERS HALL OF FAME

1994 INDUCTEES

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robert coleman

middlebury, ct | YEARS TAUGHT: 1960 - Present

Robert has brought knowledge, hope, and similar memorable experiences to at-risk students in a two-room basement of an old elementary school as part of the Alternative Education Program in Middlebury, Connecticut. Robert’s Alternative Education Program focuses on meeting the needs and abilities of the troubled students, rather than on behavior modification. His “one-room electronic schoolhouse” is so named because of its reliance and emphasis on current technology. 
ADDITIONAL RECOGNITION:
  • 1994      National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship
  • 1993      National Educator Award from the Milken Family Foundations
  • 1993      Excellence in Education Award from the Burger King Corporation
  • 1993      Walt Disney American Educator Award finalist
  • 1993      National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship
  • 1993      Educational Policy Fellowship – Institute for Educational Leadership
  • 1992      Connecticut Teacher of the Year International Space Academy Fellowship from
    ​                NASA and the U.S. Space and Rocket Center
  • 1990      ASSET (Apple Sponsored Special Education Technologist) of the Year
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jean damisch

Buhler, KS | YEARS TAUGHT: 1990 - Present

Throughout her career, Dr. Jean Damisch has given learning disabled, emotionally disturbed, and behaviorally disordered students a chance at academic success. Now retired, her goals as a special education teacher were to help her students become self-confident, develop writing, reading and math skills, and learn to be successful. She used strategies that caused her students to be more interested, involved and engaged. Those strategies paid off since more than 95 percent of her students apply for college admittance. 
ADDITIONAL RECOGNITION:
  • 1994      Northwestern University Phi Delta Kappa (PDK) Recognition Award
  • 1994      NorthShore Walk of Fame awarded by NorthShore Hilton and NorthShore
                    Magazine, Illinois (one of six)
  • 1991      Special Merit Award for Action Research in Schools from the Institute for
                    Educational Research for her research project “Teaching Techniques
     of Outstanding
                    Teachers”
  • 1990      One of 100 Chicago-area women selected as Women of Destiny by Marshall Field’s
                    and Marilyn Miglin/Destiny perfume
  • 1988      First worldwide recipient of the PDK International Doctoral Fellowship
  • 1987      Kohl International Award for Outstanding Educators
  • 1982      Recipient of PDK’s Gerald Read International Travel Scholarship, which she used to
    ​                study the educational system in China in 1983
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francis mustapha

medina, w. Africa  | Years Taught: 1979 - Present

Francis was born in Medina, a small village in Sierra Leone, West Africa. His pursuit of education led him to a neighboring village, a mission boarding school and eventually to America, where he received a degree in biology from Indiana Wesleyan University and Masters and Educational Specialist degrees from Indiana University. He and his American wife returned to West Africa in 1979 to teach in two teacher training schools in Liberia and Sierra Leone until economic, political and medical situations there brought the family back to America in 1983. War since 1990 has destroyed both training institutions, and in 1995, Mustapha’s own home village. He was granted U.S. citizenship in July of 1992. In the fall of 1995 he began doctoral studies at Indiana University.
ADDITIONAL RECOGNITION:​
  • 1994      Fort Wayne Community Schools Teacher of the Year
  • 1994      Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award
  • 1994      National Teacher of the Year finalist
  • 1994      Distinguished Alumni Award, Indiana University School of Education
  • 1994      Outstanding Alumni Award in Education, Indiana Wesleyan University
  • 1993      Excellence in Education Award
  • 1991      Fellowships from the National Institute of Health and the American Society of
    ​                Cell Biology
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renee o'leary

new castle, de | Years Taught: 1953 - 1995

Renee is a firm believer that “teaching and life should be lived to the fullest, filled with learning and laughter and brimming with love for the world around you.” Renee has spent her entire 42-year teaching career as a kindergarten teacher. She makes science a part of the kindergarten learning experience. Through her Linking Home and School with P.A.S.S. (Portable Affordable Simple Science) program, Renee introduces kindergartners to basic scientific concepts, such as the body’s five senses, shapes, colors, water, air, and different forms of matter. 
ADDITIONAL RECOGNITION:
  • 2002      Chasing Rainbows Award​
  • 2002     LYSOL/NSTA Science Challenge Award
  • 2001     Millersville Distinguished Alumni of the Year
  • 2000     Governors Outstanding Volunteer Award
  • 1998     Delaware Womens Hall of Fame Inductee
  • 1995     Delaware Science Alliance Award for outstanding contributions to science education
  • 1993     State Farm “Good Neighbor” Award for science teachers
  • 1993     Named among the nation’s Top 20 kindergarten through 12th-grade science teachers
                   by the American Association for the Advancement of Science
  • 1992     Named the 1992 SUPERSTAR! In Education by the Delaware State Chamber of
                  Commerce
  • 1991     Christa McAuliffe Fellowship
  • 1991     Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching Science
  • 1982     Delaware Teacher of the Year
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richard ruffalo

irvington, nj | Years Taught: 1973 - present

In losing his own sight, Richard has helped improve the vision of countless students. As a science teacher and coach, Richard’s success is as a role model, demonstrating to children that they can overcome adversity, discover hidden talents, and reach their potential. Having gone blind from Retinitis Pigmentosa, Richard developed other skills, including a photographic memory and total auditory recall. He shares his new talents with his students to show them that they have hidden talent yet to be discovered. A member of the U.S. Disabled Sports Team since 1984, Richard has won world titles in four different events and has accumulated 18 national titles, nine world records, and 10 state titles against sighted, able-bodied competitors. He currently ranks as the top blind track and field athlete in the history of disabled sports.
ADDITIONAL RECOGNITION:
  • 1995      Disney Teacher of the Year
  • 1994      Inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame
  • 1991      New Jersey Blind Achiever of the Year Award
  • 1989      Academy Award of Sports “Inspirational Athlete” Victor Award
  • 1988      Named Disabled Athlete of the Year for athletic, civic, and professional
                    accomplishments by the United States Olympic Committee
  • 1985      Princeton University Distinguished Teacher of the Year

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Contact Us​

Local: 620-341-5660
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Visser Hall
Emporia State University
1 Kellogg Cir
Emporia, KS 66801
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