One-time public school teacher Elizabeth Neilson became a prominent figure in the field of public health education. Photo Credit: Find a Grave

There are many examples of dedicated teachers who have made significant contributions to society. One of these is Elizabeth A. Neilson, a public school teacher who became a prominent figure in the field of public health education.

Elizabeth was born on Oct. 13, 1911, in Medford, Massachusetts. When she was a young girl, she attended Medford High School in Medford, Massachusetts. After her high school graduation, she earned her undergraduate degrees from Boston Bouve College and Northeastern University. She earned a PhD in Education from Boston University.

Elizabeth inaugurated her career as a teacher in Brookline, Massachusetts, when she accepted a position at the Brimmer May School in Chestnut Hill. She also taught in Medford public schools for a number of years. Later she became a professor at Lowell State College. She then moved on to become the Chair of the Department of Health and Physical Education for several years. She also worked as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Health Sciences at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. Throughout all the years of her professional life, she advocated for better preparation of health education teachers in public schools.

In addition to her work as an educator, Elizabeth was active in several health-related organizations. She was involved in several committees in the American School Health Association (ASHA). She served on the Board of Directors for the American Diabetes Association, the National Mental Health Association, and the American Heart Association. In 1968, she was named the President of the American School Health Association.

As if all these activities were not enough, Elizabeth was also instrumental in the production of numerous health textbooks. In 1965, she published a series of textbooks for grades 1-8 known as the School Health series. She contributed articles to a variety of professional journals, including Massachusetts Teacher, Journal School of Health, Journal of Health, and Physical Education and Recreation. Also, she was the founder and Editor-in-Chief of the journal Health Values: Achieving High Level Wellness.

For her work as a health educator, Elizabeth earned many accolades. Boston Bouver College awarded her a Distinguished Services Award, and Northeastern University honored her with their Distinguished Alumni Award in Health Sciences. She also garnered the William A. Howe Award from the American School Heath Association.

Sadly, Chalkboard Champion Elizabeth A. Neilson passed away on Oct. 4, 2001, in Wells, Maine. She was 89 years old.