Edna C. Downing

College of Education and Human Development, August 17, 2004

Edna C. Downing graduated from the College of Education in 1941 with a bachelor's degree in English Education. Her accomplishments as an educator and consultant in the public schools, a supervisor of student teachers and instructors in English Methods at the University of Minnesota, and her service to the Minnesota Council of Teachers of English, is described as extraordinary. She wrote and published the first and only book on "How to Read and Use the Newspaper in Classroom." This publication, described as "the best book written by an educator" was endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education and is still used widely today. She is the recipient of numerous honors including the award for Excellence in Teaching by the Minnesota Education Association. She also served as president of the Minnesota Council of Teachers of English and director for the National Council of Teachers in English.