Elga Meta Shearer
{{Short description|American educator (1883–1967)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Elga Meta Shearer
| image = ElgaMShearer1921.png
| alt = A white woman with dark curly hair
| caption = Elga M. Shearer, from a 1921 newspaper
| birth_name =
| birth_date = February 19, 1883
| birth_place = Kenosha, Wisconsin
| death_date = October 11, 1967 (age 84)
| death_place = Kenosha, Wisconsin
| other_names =
| occupation = Educator, school administrator, textbook author
| years_active =
| known_for =
| notable_works =
| spouse(s) =
| relatives = Conrad Shearer (brother)
}}
Elga Meta Shearer (February 19, 1883 – October 11, 1967) was an American educator, school administrator, and textbook author.
Early life and education
Shearer was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the daughter of Peter Tait Shearer and Margaret Brotchie Shearer. Her parents were both born in the Orkney Islands of Scotland. Her older brother Conrad Shearer became a United States senator representing Wisconsin. She graduated from Kenosha High School in 1900.{{Cite news |date=1926-03-01 |title=K.H.S Graduate Highly Honored in California |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/kenosha-news-khs-graduate-highly-honor/138924655/ |access-date=2024-01-17 |work=Kenosha News |pages=4 |via=Newspapers.com}} She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Chicago in 1922, and completed a master's degree in 1923 at Columbia University.{{Cite book |last=University of California |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zwI5AQAAMAAJ&dq=Elga+Shearer+Wisconsin&pg=RA1-PA15 |title=Register of the University of California |date=1927 |page=15|publisher=D.W. Gelwicks, State printer |language=en}}
Career
Shearer began teaching in her hometown during her teens.{{Cite web |title=Kenosha County school teachers |url=https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/ADZOS2MJBU2JHN8L |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=Kenosha Historical Society, via University of Wisconsin Madison Libraries}} She was a founding member of the executive committee of the Columbia County Teachers' Association in 1912.Jones, J. E., [https://ia800304.us.archive.org/29/items/historyofcolumbi00jone/historyofcolumbi00jone.pdf History of Columbia County, Wisconsin] (Lewis Publishing Company 1914): 154. In 1914, she began teaching at a normal school in Superior, Wisconsin.[https://books.google.com/books?id=87JOAQAAMAAJ&dq=Elga+Shearer+Wisconsin&pg=PA225 "News from Wisconsin Normal Schools"] Wisconsin Journal of Education 46(October 1914): 225.{{Cite news |date=1922-07-18 |title=Elect Kenoshan to High Place; Miss Elga Shearer Accepts Supervisory Position at Long Beach |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/kenosha-news-elect-kenoshan-to-high-plac/138925689/ |access-date=2024-01-17 |work=Kenosha News |pages=3 |via=Newspapers.com}}
Shearer left Wisconsin to be assistant superintendent of schools in Butte, Montana from 1917 until she resigned to protest school board policies in 1921.{{Cite news |date=1921-05-18 |title=Butte Schools are Without an Executive Head; Miss Shearer Hands Resignation to Trustees |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-anaconda-standard-butte-schools-are/138920222/ |access-date=2024-01-17 |work=The Anaconda Standard |via=Newspapers.com|pages=1, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-anaconda-standard-schools-have-no-ex/138906378/ 4]}}{{Cite news |date=1921-05-24 |title=Kenosha Woman Leads in Fight; Miss Elga Shearer is Center of School Storm in Butte, Montana |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/kenosha-news-kenosha-woman-leads-in-figh/138921931/ |access-date=2024-01-17 |work=Kenosha News |pages=3 |via=Newspapers.com}} In 1922, she moved again, to Long Beach, California, where she was supervisor of kindergarten and elementary teachers in the public schools.{{Cite news |date=1922-07-12 |title=Miss Elga Meta Shearer is Made Kindergarten Leader; Lounsbury Heads Burnett |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-long-beach-telegram-and-the-long-bea/138906002/ |access-date=2024-01-17 |work=The Long Beach Telegram and The Long Beach Daily News |pages=11 |via=Newspapers.com}} She also taught at summer teacher training programs in Utah,{{Cite news |date=1924-02-27 |title=Two Added to Summer School Faculty List |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/student-life-two-added-to-summer-school/138906556/ |access-date=2024-01-17 |work=Student Life |pages=1 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news |date=1924-05-22 |title=Who's Who at the National Summer School of the Utah Agricultural College: Prof. Elga M. Shearer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-journal-whos-who-at-the-national-su/138925188/ |access-date=2024-01-17 |work=The Journal |pages=6 |via=Newspapers.com}} and at UCLA.
Shearer took a leave from Long Beach schools in 1928 to work on a textbook about reading.{{Cite news |date=1928-10-29 |title=Butte Teacher is Text Book Author; Miss Elga M. Shearer, Well-Known Here, Aids Dr. Bruner |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-butte-daily-post-butte-teacher-is-te/138906899/ |access-date=2024-01-17 |work=The Butte Daily Post |pages=12 |via=Newspapers.com}} In the mid-1940s she was first vice-president of the California School Supervisors Association.{{Cite news |date=1946-02-28 |title=Re-elect Officers at Confab |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/santa-cruz-sentinel-re-elect-officers-at/138921683/ |access-date=2024-01-17 |work=Santa Cruz Sentinel |pages=1 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news |date=1944-11-27 |title=Personal Items of Local News Interest |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/kenosha-news-personal-items-of-local-new/138907071/ |access-date=2024-01-17 |work=Kenosha News |pages=4 |via=Newspapers.com}} She was president of the University Women's Club of Long Beach,{{Cite news |date=1946-05-08 |title=Miss Elga Shearer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/independent-miss-elga-shearer/138926170/ |access-date=2024-01-17 |work=Independent |pages=6 |via=Newspapers.com}} and represented the club in 1947 at the national conference of the AAUW, held in Texas.{{Cite news |date=1947-04-06 |title=Is Delegate to A.A.U.W. Parley |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/press-telegram-is-delegate-to-aauw-p/138925334/ |access-date=2024-01-17 |work=Press-Telegram |pages=18 |via=Newspapers.com}} In 1949 she was chair of an interracial women's public affairs committee at the YWCA in Long Beach.{{Cite news |date=1949-01-26 |title=Y. W. C. A. Forms New Committee |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/press-telegram-y-w-c-a-forms-new-com/138923706/ |access-date=2024-01-17 |work=Press-Telegram |pages=20 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news |date=1949-01-31 |title=Public Affairs |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/press-telegram-public-affairs/138925531/ |access-date=2024-01-17 |work=Press-Telegram |pages=15 |via=Newspapers.com}}
Publications
- "The Cafeteria as an Integrating Activity" (1930, with Blenda Butts){{Cite journal |last1=Shearer |first1=Elga M. |last2=Butts |first2=Blenda |date=October 1930 |title=The Cafeteria as an Integrating Activity |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00094056.1930.10725258 |journal=Childhood Education |language=en |volume=7 |issue=2 |pages=81–84 |doi=10.1080/00094056.1930.10725258 |issn=0009-4056|url-access=subscription }}
- "Reading Made a Vital Activity" (1931, with Ruth Berry)Shearer, Elga M., and Ruth Berry. "Reading Made a Vital Activity" Childhood Education 7(January 1931): 293. {{ProQuest|}}
- "The Environment: A Contributing Factor to Growth in Concepts and Skills" (1939){{Cite journal |last=Shearer |first=Elga M. |date=January 1939|title=The Environment—A Contributing Factor to Growth in Concepts and Skills |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00094056.1939.10724314 |journal=Childhood Education |language=en |volume=15 |issue=5 |pages=202–206 |doi=10.1080/00094056.1939.10724314 |issn=0009-4056|url-access=subscription }}
- Wings for Reading (1942, with Carol Hovious)
Personal life
References
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Category:People from Kenosha, Wisconsin
Category:American women educators
Category:American school administrators
Category:University of Chicago alumni
Category:Columbia University alumni
Category:American textbook writers