Department Histories

Ira Aaron

COMMENTS ON
READING EDUCATION,
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

Department member from 1948-1985

On January 1, 1948, I became the 27th member of the UGA College of Education faculty. The previous November, I, who was then a teaching/principal in a small Southeast Georgia rural community, received a call from Dr. Aderhold, Dean of the COE. He wanted to know if I had an interest in interviewing for a position in the College's Bureau of Educational Studies and Field Services. My undergraduate degree had been in Journalism, and the Bureau needed someone to edit Bureau publications (school surveys). My first degree (ABJ-UGA) was granted in 1941. Following WWII service, I earned an M.Ed. degree in School Administration in the College of Education. I came to Athens for an interview, was offered the position, and accepted it.

On the third day of my employment, Dr. Aderhold called from Registration to ask me to teach two overflow sections of Educational Psychology. My Bureau assignment from that point involved not only Bureau but also teaching Educational Psychology classes.

The Bureau staff consisted of three additional faculty members: Joe Williams (who later served as COE Dean), Joe Bledsoe, and W.A. Stumpf. In 1948-49, the Bureau conducted a survey in Richmond County schools and worked on publicizing the Minimum Foundation Program for Education in Georgia Schools, which grew largely out of Joe Williams' dissertation. (Dr. Aderhold was his major professor.)

After one and one-half years, I was granted leave to enroll at the University of Minnesota to study for a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology. My 1949-50 support came from a General Education Board Fellowship (given jointly to the COE and to me) and the GI Bill. My second Minnesota year was the GI Bill and a UM Assistantship. Most of my UM Assistantship consisted of working in Dean Piek's office.

In the middle of my two years at Minnesota, Dr. Aderhold moved into the UGA President position. Joe Williams, about the same time I left for Minnesota, took a position at the University of Kentucky.

When I returned to UGA in 1951, I learned that Dean Dotson had made me the Bureau head. Joe Williams had returned to UGA and was a very important part of the President's office; his position, however, was listed as Bureau. Though there were four Bureau positions, very little assigned time was left for Bureau work. Except for Joe, most of our time was devoted to teaching and field service.

While I was at Minnesota, Byron Callaway came to the COE as a member of the Elementary Education faculty. He began teaching the one Reading Education course offered at UGA at the time. Rachel Sutton also taught the course; she was in Elementary Education. Requests for Saturday classes in Reading increased. Byron, knowing that Reading Education was an important part of my Minnesota work and that my dissertation was chaired by Guy Bond, one of the few Reading leaders at the time, got me involved in teaching on-campus Saturday classes in Reading. After a few years, Byron left the COE for another position.

In 1956, tiring of trying to do Bureau work with little assigned time, I had a morning-long conference with Dean Dotson. He agreed to let me start a Reading Clinic, as a beginning of an expanded Reading program. Doyne Smith took over as the head of the Bureau. For the first year (1956-57), the Clinic was housed in the building next door to Peabody Hall (Waddell Hall, I believe). We had no budget. Mary Scott, then a Graduate Assistant, was assigned a part of her time to help out in the Clinic. We shared the phone in the Dean's entrance office, and I paid for testing materials. (Mary was the mother of Jake, who became an outstanding football player at UGA and later in the pros. Jake, one year, was selected as "most valuable" player in the Super Bowl.) (This has nothing to do with the Reading Education program but a lot to do with the BullDawgs!)

After the first (or second) year, the Clinic moved into Peabody Hall (in former Bureau space). In the second year, Hazel Simpson, as a Graduate Assistant in the beginning, became a member of the Clinic staff. Sylvia Hutchinson, a few years later, served as a Graduate Assistant in the Clinic. We later moved from Peabody to Baldwin Hall, with much more space. Not too long afterward, we moved into Aderhold Hall with considerably more space. (By that time, Byron Callaway had returned to head the Clinic and to help in teaching Reading courses.)

At no cost to parents or schools, we tested school children sent to us by schools or parents, and returned suggested corrective procedures to the schools. Hazel and I taught the Reading Education course at least one time each quarter. I was also teaching Educational Psychology courses, when needed. We soon developed a second course, diagnostic and corrective reading. Students in the second course served as Clinic interns as a part of their work. During the first seven years (while I was Clinic head), we tested 507 students and sent reports back to the schools. We also taught area elementary and secondary students needing Reading help. One class was held one afternoon per week after school and another class on Saturday mornings. In the first couple of years, I occasionally ending up typing out reports to be sent to the schools - because of limited secretarial help. That soon improved. With two exceptions, I administered individual intelligence tests to our 507 "clients."

We gained a good bit of interest from our test reports. For example, a member of the Board of Regents saw one of our reports on a child in his family, and he suggested that we make such instructional recommendations available to more teachers. He contacted the Georgia Department of Education. His interest led to the preparation of "Teaching Word Recognition, Skills in Georgia Schools" (first edition - 1960) and, indirectly, to the publication of "Teaching Comprehension Skills" (1964 - as part of "The Superintendent's Research and Educational Development Program"). I wrote the first of the two publications; Byron Callaway, Hazel Simpson, and I wrote the second. Updated editions of both were later published. The two publications were widely distributed by the State Department of Education.

Most of our work dealt with individual children from the schools. We did have the entire group of children and adolescents from the Georgia Sheriffs' Boys Home brought in for testing. One-half (about 10 boys) came in on a Sunday afternoon. We worked all Sunday afternoon and on Monday; the next weekend, we repeated the procedure with the remaining boys. (This experience has cost me at least $300.00 each year since in contributions. I'm now an Honorary Life Member of the Georgia Sheriffs' Association!) 

Byron Callaway, who left the University the year before the Clinic began, was brought back from Auburn University to take over the Clinic. This was the eighth year of the Clinic's operation. I was spending a lot of my time in teaching Reading and Educational Psychology courses and in doing in-service work. This is the point at which Reading Education began to grow into department status. In 1964, we added two other faculty members: Wayne Otto and Arthur Olson. We expanded the program and began to offer a Master's degree in Reading Education. 

Joe Williams, who became Dean in 1962, asked if I would serve as head of Language Arts, which would include Reading Education. I told him that because of the increasing national interest in Reading, we could probably build Reading Education more rapidly and strongly, if it stood alone. Thus began the Department of Reading Education. Mary Tingle headed Language Education, I believe. The Reading Education Department grew to as many as 13 faculty positions and a good number of Teaching Assistants. (Thank goodness! By that time, we also had several secretaries.)
           
READING DEPARTMENT/PROGRAM HEADS (Beginning - 1985)
1956 (Clinic beginning) - 1973 - Ira E: Aaron
1973-78 - George E. Mason
1978-1982 - Ira E. Aaron
1982 - -Bob W. Jerrolds

Reading Program Service to State (Examples)

• Reading courses for teachers taught in school systems - including Augusta, Savannah, Rome, Dalton, LaFayett, Columbus, Sparta, Atlanta, Decatur, Albany, and others. (We referred to ourselves as "The Flying Squadron.")

• 18 30-minute TV programs on reading instruction, with listening/viewing guides for the 16,000 teachers (in school groups) and 24 Federal prisoners (who had been teaching fellow inmates who viewed the series. I wrote the scripts and listening/viewing guides. Hazel Simpson had a part in one program and Bernice Cooper in another. I was on camera in all episodes. This was sponsored by the State Department of Education and was carried by Georgia Public Television. (The old kinescopes are somewhere in the Reading offices - if they have not been discarded.) 

• Preparation of three curriculum booklets for the State Department of Education.  

• Numerous in-service sessions by Reading Department faculty. 

• Congressional district, all-day in-service sessions (one day for each of three months) in seven Congressional districts (over three years). Superintendents and one teacher from each school were attendees. (Simpson, Callaway, and Aaron - in cooperation with Doyne Smith) 

• Planning and carrying out teacher in-service for statewide six week reading classes taught to children needing help. Sponsored by State Department of Education. (Simpson, Callaway, and Aaron) 

• Since in early days UGA had the only Reading Education program in the State, we served all over the State I was a part of almost everything the Georgia Department of Education did in Reading - often in a leadership position. I also involved other faculty members.

National/International Involvement (Examples)

• Research and other articles in professional journals, written by Department faculty. 

• Institutes sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education. We probably had one of every type offered in Reading. In 1967-68, we had a year-long institute on campus for elementary teachers, a summer institute for secondary teachers, and a summer institute in Japan for American teachers in service schools in the Pacific area. Larry Hafner directed the institute in Japan. Eleanor Ladd, Bernice Cooper, and Al Kingston were others from campus in the institute. I spent a few days as a visiting lecturer toward the institute's end.

• Involvement in early 1970s Right-to-Read. I headed the Southeast team. This was a project of the Federal government. My work involved helping to prepare materials used by all teams. I also visited a number of participating schools. 

• International Reading Association involvement. Faculty members made presentations at numerous IRA conferences and served on IRA committees. Bob Jerrolds, at IRA request, wrote a history of the International Reading Association (published in 1977, I believe). The history was widely distributed. In the 1970s, I served a three-year term on the IRA Board of Directors. In 1981-84, I served as an IRA officer. I was president in 1983-84. Though this was my individual involvement, my being on numerous programs, mainly in the U.S. and Canada, reflected on the College of Education and the University of Georgia - favorably, I hope!

Personal University-wide Involvement 

• Several University promotion committees. 

• Member of committee to recommend University President. 

• One of three faculty members on President's Administrative Council. (This was during the time of University integration.) 

• Graduate School committees.

• 10 years as active member of UGA Athletic Board. (Still an Emeritus Member) 

• Member of advisory board of Red and Black (while it was under Journalism School) 

• Member of early Peabody Award Committee.  

• Several other involvements. 

• Member of three-man "unofficial committee" that visited Pres. Aderhold to ask that he consider appointing Joe Williams as COE Dean. (Dr. Aderhold did not want to lose Joe as his assistant.) The visit led to Joe's appointment as Dean. (The "committee" expressed the feelings of a good number of COE faculty - though it was a self-appointed committee.)

Ph.D/Ed.D. Students in Reading Education

Once we began Reading Education degrees at the doctorate level, we attracted a good number of well qualified students, mostly from within the United States. We also had several Canadians enter the program. One candidate came from Australia and another from the Netherlands. In one year, I had eleven candidates to complete doctorates. In the early years, we had few Reading faculty on the Graduate faculty. In all (until retirement in 1985), I had 75+ candidates to complete either EDD or PhD degrees.

Reading Department graduates have accepted positions in a variety of institutions, some at major universities. Examples: Minnesota (2 there now), Arizona State, Arizona, Illinois, Illinois-Chicago, Indiana, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Ohio State, Harvard, British Columbia, Montreal, and others. A number of our graduates took positions at other Georgia colleges.

I personally have great pride in the quality of our graduates. We were fortunate to attract well qualified students.

Reading Program/Department Faculty - Until 1985

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