Educator Horatio Strother published volume about Underground Railroad

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Educator Horatio Strother of Connecticut published a highly-acclaimed volume about the Underground Railroad in Connecticut. Photo: Wesleyan University Press

Many excellent educators have also authored influential books. One of these was Horatio Strother, a history teacher who published a highly-acclaimed volume about the Underground Railroad in Connecticut.

Horatio was born on Feb. 1, 1930, in Harlem, New York. As a very young child, his family relocated to Middleton, Connecticut. There he attended Woodrow High School. In addition to his studies there, he excelled in athletics, including football and track and field. In fact, he he set a state record in the broad jump. In 1950, Horatio enlisted in the US Air Force and served four years of active duty in the Korean Conflict.

When his military service was completed, Horatio earned his Bachelor’s degree in History in 1956 and his Master’s degree in History in 1957, both from the University of Connecticut. During college, he was a member of Phi Alpha Theta, the National Horos Society of History.

Once he earned his degrees, Horatio taught briefly at Killingsworth Elementary School. In 1959, he transferred to Nathan Hale-Ray High School in Moodys section of East Haddam. There he taught history and served as the Chair of the Social Studies Department. Later, Horatio taught history at South Central Community College in New Haven, where he earned a promotion to Assistant Professor.

Horatio spent years conducting research and collecting oral history interviews related to the Underground Railroad in Connecticut. This research culminated in a scholarly work that was published by Wesleyan University Press in 1962. The volume, regarded as the definitive text on the Underground Railroad in Connecticut, is still in print and is held in the collections of nearly 2,000 libraries around the country.

Sadly, Horatio Strother drowned on Sept. 14, 1974, while swimming in Hidden Lake near his home. He was only 44 years old. To read more about this Chalkboard Champion, click on this link to the Haddam Killingworth News.

FL teacher Rebecca Hamilton inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame

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Florida English teacher Rebecca Hamilton is one of only five educators nationwide who has been inducted into the 2023 class of the National Teachers Hall of Fame. Photo Credit: Linked In

Congratulations to educator Rebecca Hamilton, an English teacher from West Palm Beach, Florida! She is one of only five educators nationwide who have been inducted into the 2023 class of the National Teachers Hall of Fame (NTHF).

Rebecca earned her Bachelor’s degree in English and History from Texas Lutheran University and her Master’s degree in Guidance and Counseling from the University of Texas, Pan American. She is an Education Specialist in Curriculum and Instruction, and she earned her PhD in Multicultural Education & Literature from Florida Atlantic University in 2014. In 2002, she completed the requirements for her National Board certification.

Rebecca’s career as an educator spans a total of 39 years. Currently she teaches English and AP Capstone Seminar and Research to juniors and seniors at Suncoast Community High School in Rivera Beach. During the 26 years she has been at that school, she has sponsored several clubs, including Hands across Campus, which hosts the Heritage Assembly each year, the Harry Potter Club, Guidance for Young Ladies, and Students for Gun Control.

Upon her induction in the NTHF, Rebecca offered this advice to fellow educators. “One: Find a good mentor,” she counsels. “Two: Get to know your students as humans and treat them like real people.” she continues. “And Three: Don’t be the ‘sage of the stage.’ It’s ok to say you don’t know something—look it up or have them look it up and learn together,” she concludes.

Her induction in the NTHF is not the only recognition Rebecca has earned. In 2020 she was selected to participate in MIT’s Teacher STEM Program. In 2014 she garnered the Teacher of the Year honors from Macy’s, and in 2017 she was selected to receive the prestigious Dwyer Award from Suncoast. In addition, Rebecca was chosen to be a presenter at the 2016 Association of Ubiquitous and Collaborative Educational International at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, and in 2017 she presented at the Hispanic/Latino Studies Summer Institute. In 2018, she spoke at the African & African American Studies Summer Institute, and in 2022 Rebecca was a participant in the inaugural Teaching Hard History program.

The National Teachers Hall of Fame established a museum and recognition program in Emporia, Kansas, in 1989 to honor outstanding educators from all corners of the country. Nominees must be certificated public or non-public school teachers, active or retired, with at least 20 years of experience in teaching grades preK-12. Since the inaugural induction ceremonies in 1992, 145 educators from 40 states and the District of Columbia have been inducted. To learn more about the program, click on this link to the NTHF.

Texas educator Lucia Rede Madrid earned honors

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Texas educator Lucia Rede Madrid was honored by two American presidents and inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame for her volunteer work as a local librarian. Photo Credit: Texas Women’s Hall of Fame

There are many fine educators who have contributed to the development of America’s border-town communities. One of these was Lucia Rede Madrid, a dedicated teacher from the border town of Redford, Texas.

Lucia Rede was born in Polvo, Texas, on January 8, 1913. She was the sixth of eight children born to Eusébio Rede and Antonia Luján, who had settled in the area in 1870. When Lucia was only 12 years old, her family relocated to the tiny community of Marfa, West Texas.

Lucia was born to be a teacher. As a young girl, she helped to educate her brothers and sisters. In fact, seven of the eight Rede children became teachers. Lucia earned both her Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree in Education, both from Sul Ross State University. Sul Ross is a public institution of higher learning located in Alpine, in the Big Bend region of the far western part of Texas. After earning her degrees, Lucia taught at public schools in Marfa and Redford for 23 years.

After her retirement from the classroom in 1976, the dedicated educator established a private lending library in the isolated border town of Redford in 1979. She started the library with just 25 books. By 1992, the collection included over 15,000 volumes. The institution gained national attention and still functions today as a library and museum. Current library holdings include Lucia’s personal Library Hall of Fame, a collection of portraits of individuals who were children in Redford that have gone on to successful careers as engineers, doctors, teachers, and accountants.

For her work as a pioneer educator and librarian, this Chalkboard Champion has garnered many accolades. She was once featured on the NBC Today Show, and a story about her was published in National Geographic in February, 1984. The story was entitled “West of Pecos.” In addition, Lucia was honored with the President’s Volunteer Service Award by President George W. Bush in 1990, and the Ronald Reagan Award for Volunteer Excellence. In 1989, Lucia was inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame.

Lucia passed away at the age of 90, but her work has not been forgotten!