HomeMy WebLinkAboutLifetime in Education.Mora Boone
Yoi~ ~rzi~st like people.
Yvu must renzef~2ber that it is r~~ior-e impor-tarlt to teach mrdents hoti~• to leans rather than
to just teach the si~rbject matter.
Your r~~zitst be patie~~t tit~ith slotiti• leanters.
here are the three pieces of advice Mora Evelyn
Waddell Boone, a 103-year-old retired teacher,
would 1 ike to share with students who aspire to
teach.
Boone, who lives in Bryan, Texas, has funded a President's
Endowed Scholarship for a student in the College, of Edu-
cation and Human Development at Texas A&M University.
Boone is the mother of James Boone Jr., professor emeri-
tus of the College of Education and Human Development.
The President's Endowed Scholarship (PES) is a four-year
academic scholarship for Texas A&M's top undergraduates
and is considered the university's most prestigious scholar-
ships. PES scholars receive $ l 2,000 over four years plus
an additional $1,000 to study abroad.
Having celebrated her 103'`' birthday on December 23,
2004, Boone's gift to Texas A&M is just one more chapter
in her life that is dedicated to education. It also makes
Boone the college's oldest donor. In 1921, she married
James L. Boone, a teacher and a farmer in the Alief com-
munity, southwest of Houston. In 1930, Boone's husband
born on December
23, 1901
«-as elected superintendent of schools for the Beasley In-
dependent School District in Fort Bend County.
That same ~~ear. ~1ora Boone began taking college courses
at Texas A&~1 in the summer and through correspondence
courses during the regular school year. She received her
bachelor's of science degree in English and history fi•om
Sam Houston State Cniversity.
Her teachin~T career began in Beasley. Texas. in 1932, then
Lolita in 19-2 and \eedville in 197. `While teaching in
Needville. she earned a master's in library science fi•on~~
Sam Houston State L niversity and sen~ed as teacher and
school librarian in \eedville until 1960 when she accepted
the librarian position at Jane Long Junior High School in
Houston.
When asked about the biggest changes in education in her
lifetime, Boone quickly points out technological and soci-
etal issues.
"Today, teachers and students have access to many more
learning resources such as the Internet. radio and televi-
1T~ ~~~J ~r ~~~ ~~
L.
schools for Beasley Independent
Mora begins teachinz
in Beasley, Texas, in
1932
I'I'ransfers to Lolita in 19421
Transfers to Needville
in 1947
... a ciTe lime a.
sion," said Boone. "And when I started teaching, very few
of the school board members and other parents had com-
pleted high school, and very few of the teachers had a col-
lege degrees" ,
After serving the state's public schools systems for 32
years, Boone retired in 1964.
"Among my fondest memories as a public school teacher
is the effect my work had on the girls," said Boone, who
coached girls in preparation for the declamation contests
conducted by the Texas Interscholastic League.
"Two of my students have written recently to tell me this
training prepared them to conduct meetings, speak in pub-
lic and assume leadership roles in their communities," she
continued.
Boone also remembers a 15-year-old boy she took under
her wing after his father died. The young man wanted to
quit school in order to support his family.
"I encouraged him to stay in school and helped him get
a part-time maintenance job at the school," she said. "He
needed some help with his self esteem, so one day in class
I remarked that if l were to take a trip around the world,
I would want him to be with me to keep my car running
because he was an excellent mechanic"
~~ ~ ti ~fll ~j ~ ~~rfT:
1
is
F
~ ~~
~~e{ ;
;~ ~~ <<_
-
~ _...
~~y~ , ~
. 4
' r
~
;
'i5.'
~
3' J ~/°
^~iy y .. f
f
3
~ 4~ ~~
t
k
+i~} ~ ~
p
zTF
Accepts librarian position at Jane Long Junior
High School in Houston in 1960
d~to education
Over fifty years later, Boone's former student
wrote to her. He said her faith in him influenced
him to finish high school and join the Air Force
where he flew 33 missions as a flight engineer and
turret gunner on a B-24 Bomber. He had received
a medal for valor and a Purple Heart.
After his Air Force career, he went on to own a
diesel service garage and tow service in Texas
anal Arizona. He is now retired.
Even today, 41 years after her retirement, one can
still get a sense of how proud she is of her stu-
dents.
Boone and her husband, who died in 1996, en-
joyed their retirement years in Richmond and
Bellville, Texas, before settling in Bryan. Mora
Boone now lives at the Grand Courtin Bryan. She
has two sons, five grandchildren, l 3 great grand-
children and two great great grandchildren. Both
of her sons, four grandchildren and four great
grandchildren are all educators. And because at-
tending meetings runs through even the retired
teacher's blood, she is involved with the Brazos
County Retired School Personnel organization
with her son. James.
a]~~7~ir ~~ ;fir ,~7I~i ST ~I'I~ 31~i ';i19' ~'~ ~h' ~'~
I Celebrates her 103"' birthday I
on December 23, 2004
After serving the state's public schools systems
for 32 years, Boone retires in 1964