Doris E. Pennell Scholarship

The Doris E. Pennell Scholarship is created for students majoring in WSU’s Elementary Eduation program.

Criteria

1. Each recipient must be an undergraduate student enrolled full-time (minimum 12 credit hours) at Winona State University.
2. Each recipient must be classified as a junior or senior and be in good standing at Winona State University with a minimum grade point average (g.p.a.) of 3.0 (4.0 = A).
3. Each recipient must be a declared major in Winona State University’s Elementary Education Program.
4. Each recipient must show ability and promise in the field of education.

Biography/Motivation

Doris Pennell was born on a farm near Toledo, Iowa. When she was thirteen years old, her family moved to town. After graduating from Toledo High School, she continued her education at Iowa State Teachers College (now the University of Northern Iowa) in Cedar Falls where she received a B.A. degree. She earned her M.A. degree at Colorado State College, Greeley, and her E.D.S. degree at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. Doris’ hobbies include a collection of 50 porcelain dolls, 80 figurines (many from her travels including Hummels, Royal Orleans and Royal Doultons), 30 antique plates and approximately 70 collector’s spoons.

After teaching fifteen years in several Iowa elementary schools (the last six in Waterloo), in 1959 she came to teach at the Phelps Laboratory School on the Winona State University campus. After the Phelps School closed, she continued teaching in the WSU Education Department retiring in 1982 as Professor Emeritus after 23 years of service. Doris has always been active in many professional organizations: Delta Kappa Gamma, Pi Lambda Theta, Kappa Delta Pi, Association for Childhood Education, National Council for Social Studies, American Association of University Women, Business & Professional Woman, National Education Association, Iowa Education Association, Minnesota Education Association, Winona State Faculty Association, Minnesota Reading Association and
International Reading Association

She has been listed in Who’s Who of American Women, World’s Who’s Who of Women, and Who’s Who Biographical Record-Child Development. In her retirement, Doris has been involved in many volunteer activities including the. Watkins United Methodist Home, the Redbird Mission in the Appalachian Mountains in Kentucky, and the United Methodist Church. A member of the United Methodist Church, she has served on most of its committees including nine years as the representative to the state Annual Conference and on the Executive Board of the Southeastern District of United Methodist Women.
A world traveler, Doris has visited most of the fifty states including Hawaii and Alaska, Canada, Mexico, seven Asian countries, fourteen European countries, many Caribbean Islands and Brazil where she took a 1,000 mile cruise on the Amazon.