There were a great many bright moments throughout the year: the evolution from International Reading Association to International Literacy Association, ILA 2015, and International Literacy Day, to name a few. Sadly, there were also shadowed moments when we mourned beloved ILA members and leaders who passed away this year. Although they are no longer with us, the legacies these literacy champions leave will live on through their work and the changes that have come about as a result of their enduring commitment to our cause.
Alan E. Farstrup, executive director of the International Reading Association (now International Literacy Association) from 1992–2009, passed away Oct. 31. A former Peace Corps volunteer, Farstrup was an avid traveler, traversing the globe to meet members and promote literacy. Among his many lifetime accomplishments, Farstrup was engaged with the Reading Hall of Fame (he was inducted in 2000), worked alongside noted researcher P. David Pearson, and was involved in the development of Reading and Writing for Critical Thinking, a professional development project in Central and Eastern Europe. Working cooperatively with the National Council of Teachers of English, as well as the Carnegie Corporation, the former executive director promoted language standards and guidelines for literacy coaches.
Emeritus Executive Director of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), Kent Williamson, passed away June 7. During his time with NCTE, Williamson promoted online learning, collaborative advocacy, and initiatives in mentoring. He oversaw the development of the National Center for Literacy Education (NCLE) and understood the importance of professional development as a continuing endeavor. The immense respect he had for other literacy associations will not soon be forgotten, nor will his efforts.
Bernice Cullinan, renowned professor, author, and children’s literacy advocate passed away Feb. 5. Author of more than 40 titles, Cullinan was a former president of ILA’s Board of Directors. She also served as president of the Reading Hall of Fame, having been inducted in 1989. Professor of reading at New York University for 30 years, Cullinan later served on the Caldecott Award selection committee and was later named editor-in-chief of Wordsong. Her legacy lives on through her seminal work, Children’s Literature in the Reading Program, first published in 1987 and currently in its fourth edition.
Longtime literacy leader L. Dale Guy passed away Sept. 15, after years of dedicated service to the International Literacy Association. Guy got his start teaching in a one-room schoolhouse and later worked as a consultant and reading clinician. Founding member of the provincial Manitoba Reading Association and Manitoba Council of Reading Clinicians (a special interest council), Guy dedicated his life to furthering literacy both in Canada and around the world as a member of numerous international committees. Honored with the Lieutenant Governor’s Medal for Literacy in 2011, Guy’s contributions to literacy will continue to resonate in both the Canadian and international communities.
Arthur N. Applebee, former University at Albany Distinguished Professor and ILA member, passed away Sept. 20. Until his retirement in August, Applebee was chair of the school’s Department of Educational Theory & Practice and director of the Center on English Learning and Achievement. Author of 25 books and more than 100 journal articles, his first book Tradition and Reform in the Teaching of English is a classic in its field. Among his many awards and recognitions, Applebee and his wife, Judith Langer, were the first husband and wife to hold the position of distinguished professor (the highest rank in the State University of New York system).
Literacy educator and innovator Morton Botel passed away July 6. After completing his undergraduate, masters, and doctoral work at the University of Pennsylvania, Botel later worked as a professor and professor emeritus of education at the university’s Graduate School of Education. A born teacher, Botel recognized his calling at age 13 and spent his life reshaping the process of learning to read and write. A Navy veteran, Botel was deployed to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and Kobe, Japan. Upon his return, he contributed to 200 publications and founded the Penn Literacy Network. In the past 34 years, more than 34,000 educators have engaged with the network.
Although these literacy icons are no longer with us, their combined efforts have changed the way we teach and understand literacy fundamentally. We celebrate their lives and the lessons these leaders leave behind as we continue to promote literacy around the world.
Alexandra Baruch is ILA’s communications intern.