Sue and Ed Jones Early Childhood/Elementary Education Scholarship

Sue and Edward Jones aspired to earn bachelor’s degrees at Wichita State University. As a young married couple and parents in 1962, they experienced financial struggles and accomplished their goals by taking turns attending college. While one worked, the other attended Wichita State. In this way, Sue earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education in 1965 and Ed received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and secondary science in 1968. They used a similar approach in graduate school, with each earning their master’s and doctorate degrees.

During more than 40 years in education at the public school and college levels, they achieved leadership roles and provided significant contribution in early childhood education. Sue was Director of Early Childhood at Northwest Local Schools in Cincinnati, Ohio, for 21 years. She designed and implemented an extended-day kindergarten program that received a U.S. Department of Education national award and was used as a model throughout the country. Ed Jones was instrumental in the development of early childhood licensure standards in Ohio and in the Early Childhood Education program at Miami University, where he served as director for five years. For outstanding contributions to the professional development of teachers, Sue and Ed were jointly awarded the national Mallinson Award in 1991.

The Joneses attribute some of their success to their college experiences at Wichita State and to the guidance, encouragement and mentoring from Dr. John Nickel, professor in the WSU College of Education. They established this scholarship to help promising students achieve their goals to become teachers in early childhood or elementary education.