College of Education alumni inducted into Hall of Fame
Six education alumni were inducted into the College’s Hall of Fame on Oct. 17.
Joan Kane
B.S., Education ‘73
After 35 years teaching at the elementary and middle school levels, Kane currently serves as a faculty member in Tri-Point School District in Kempton. She has been a member of the National Education Association, Illinois Education Association, Tri-Point Education Association and the Delta Kappa Gamma International Teacher Sorority.
Gerald Lewis
B.S., Special Education ‘65
M.S., Education, Chicago State University ‘71
Lewis has spent much of his career advocating for the improvement of education and inclusion of life-skills supports for special education students. For the past several years, he has been helping develop a center for at-risk and special-needs students in a disadvantaged county in Wisconsin.
Mary Jane Linton
B.S., Nursing, Millikin University ’70
M.S., Medical-surgical nursing, Millikin University ’80
Ed.D., Curriculum and Instruction ’97
Linton is an associate professor of nursing at Millikin University. She has earned certification as a Certified Nurse Educator and Clinical Nurse Leader. This year, she was honored by Millikin University with the Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award.
Kathleen O’Leary
B.S., Elementary Education ‘67
O’Leary’s 36-year career in teaching has included positions at the elementary and middle-school levels. O’Leary spent most of her work life at an Ocean Side, Calif. school district and is now president of the California Retired Teachers Association.
Charles Powers
B.S., Education, ‘49, M.S., Education ‘50
Advanced certificate, University of Illinois ‘69
Powers spent 20 years in K-12 education as a teacher, coach, principal and superintendant in the Chicago area. He then came to work in Admissions at Illinois State and opened the University’s first Chicagoland office from which he is now retired.
John Tenny
B.S., Elementary Education ‘73
M.S., Reading Education ‘74
Ph.D., Curriculum and Instruction, University of Oregon
Tenny was a non-traditional student with beginnings at Illinois State as a carpenter who helped build Stevenson Hall. He is a professor emeritus of Willamette University in Salem, Ore., where he served as education department chair, graduate school director and director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching. He currently works as a trainer and consultant with several school districts and universities across the nation.
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