Date of Graduation
1988
Document Type
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to present an account of Dr. Louise McNeill Pease whose influence as a West Virginia teacher has been relatively unrecognized by her native state. A review of the available literature shows that Dr. Pease has been identified as a gifted writer through numerous honors, yet her impact as a teacher has been neglected. This study intends to close this gap. This investigation is a qualitative research project entailing the gathering of life history data coded and organized into chapters that develop a portrait of the subject. The literature review and the procedures of the study are part of the same process. After an initial review of related literature, the second stage of the research involved reading all of the Louise McNeill Pease Collection in the West Virginia State Archives, Department of Culture and History, Charleston, West Virginia. This included correspondence, notebooks, scrapbooks, clippings, articles, and pamphlets on and about her, her poetry and fiction, school records, and college yearbooks. A list of contacts was compiled through the study of this collection. The third phase of the study was the selection of the self-report method to be applied to potential respondents. Questionnaires were sent to designees for this method and interviews were arranged with the others. Interviewees were tape recorded and field notes recorded. A system was developed to track responses from those receiving questionnaires. The data assembled contained three categories: introductory and procedural; biographical; and concluding. Out of these categories evolved six chapters: (1) providing introduction and procedures; (2) including an overview of Pease's family background and depicting her as a student, wife, and mother; (3) describing her as an elementary teacher; (4) presenting her as college and university educator; (5) continuing her depiction and including a summary; and (6) concluding with an appraisal. The completion of the study illustrates that Dr. Pease has made a definite impact as a West Virginia educator. This is evidenced by honors for teaching and writing; by admiration of former students and colleagues; and by present identification of her as a model by students who emulate her.
Recommended Citation
Cather, Willa Louise, "Portrait of Dr. Louise McNeill Pease, West Virginia educator." (1988). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 8589.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/8589