A Brief History of DVRAOn November 7, 1955, a charter was granted by the International Council for the Improvement of Reading to the Delaware Council for the Improvement of Reading. This charter was obtained by Morton Botel, Ruth Flamand, Margaret Fraser, Ethel S. Maney, John O'Brien, Elona Socher, and Josephine Wolfe. Dr. Morton Botel served as president of this council for the first three years. In 1956, when the International Reading Association was formed by the merger of the International Council for the Improvement of Reading and the National Association for Remedial Teaching, the name was officially changed to the Delaware Valley Reading Association., which supplied a healthy 10% of the IRA membership. Dr. Botel served as president of the International Reading Association, 1962-1963, and DVRA held a testimonial dinner for him.
Over the past 50 years, the finest speakers in the field of reading have appeared at DVRA-sponsored meetings. The speaker at DVRA's 25th Anniversary celebration at the Castle, Beaver College, was Dr. Nancy Larrick, Past President of IRA. The original council had 600 members from the five county area, and over the years, DVRA has spawned the reading councils in the five county area. In addition, DVRA and its members have been active in the state council, the Keystone State Reading Association. Long-time Advisory Board member, Murph Crawford, in whose honor our annual middle school conference is named, served as a regional director for KSRA for over three decades. Eleanor Gensemer has served in many roles, including Membership Director, and currently serves as a regional director. Eric MacDonald has also served many roles at KSRA, including President (1999-2000) and currently serves as IRA Coordinator. DVRA was the host council for the 1998 KSRA Annual Conference held at Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Champion, PA. Since its inception in 1955, DVRA has continued its original goals "to encourage the study of the problems involved and to further better practices in all phases of reading instruction and to stimulate and encourage research." DVRA will continue to support literacy throughout the area for the next 50 years! (adapted from the version originally printed in DVRA's 50th anniversary program) DVRA Board Members EmeritiBarbara Bass, Blanche Bauer, Theresa Deckebach, Irene W. Gaskins, Lenore Kintisch, Sharon Kletzien, Madeline Lander, Nola McCabe, Virginia Modla, Betsy Nyman, Eleanor Smith, Mary Strong, Susan Tosti, Lois Van Eerden, Marlene Wald, Renee Weisberg
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DVRA Past Presidents1955-1958 Morton Botel
1958-1960 E. Elona Socher 1960-1962 Rosemary G. Wilson 1962-1966 E. Gillet Ketchum 1966-1968 Lawrence B. Charry 1968-1969 Brother William Quaintace 1969-1970 M Kathryn Graham 1970-1971 Adeline W. Gomberg 1971-1972 Delores Cosline 1972-1973 John F. Fanning 1973-1974 Martha Cruikshank 1974-1975 John C. Nelson 1975-1976 Nancy J. Allbaugh 1976-1977 Frances N. (Murph) Crawford 1977-1978 Christine Freeney 1978-1779 Thelma T. Reese 1979-1980 Renee Weisberg 1980-1981 Irene W. Gaskins 1981-1982 Charles P. Christine 1982-1983 Elizabeth J. Look 1983-1984 Barbara S. Bass 1984-1985 Joyce Comley 1985-1986 Fredi Cooper 1986-1987 Sally Ross Laird 1987-1988 Blanche Baurer 1988-1989 Lois J. VanEerden 1989-1990 Virginia B. Modla 1990-1991 Marlene Wald 1991-1992 Eric C. MacDonald 1992-1993 Betsy Nyman 1993-1994 Eleanor Smith 1994-1995 Lenore Kintisch 1995-1996 Anne Elliot Brown 1996-1997 Marie B. Koals 1997-1998 Sharon B. Kletzien 1998-2000 Eleanor W. Gensemer 2000-2001 Madeline Lander 2001-2002 Eleanor Smith 2002-2003 Randi Windheim 2003-2004 Nola McCabe 2004-2005 Sandy Hamill 2005-2006 Janine Sacks 2006-2007 Marcia Cisik 2007-2008 Anne Elliot Brown & Randi Windheim 2008-2009 Marie Reynolds 2009-2010 Mary W. Strong 2010-2011 Lenore Kintisch & Sandy Hamill 2011-2012 Theresa Deckebach 2012-2013 Anne Finore 2013-2014 Sue Tosti 2014-2015 Catherine McGeehan 2015-2016 Doris Heise 2016-2017 Christy Yaffe 2017-2018 Allison O'Neil |