Members of the 2018 class of the Kentucky Teacher Hall of Fame are (from left) Gloria K. Compton, Ronald Montgomery and Mattie Jo Smith.
Author: Western Kentucky University College of Education and Behavioral Sciences
Date: Monday, October 30th, 2017
Members of the 10th class of the Governor Louie B. Nunn Kentucky Teacher Hall of Fame have been selected.
The three chosen by the statewide selection committee are Gloria K. Compton, Ronald Montgomery and Mattie Jo Smith. Members of the 2018 Kentucky Teacher Hall of Fame will be inducted during a ceremony on Feb. 6 in Frankfort. The induction ceremony will begin at 1 p.m. EST in the Capitol Rotunda.
The Kentucky Teacher Hall of Fame was established in 2000 through a generous gift from former governor, Louie B. Nunn. With his gift, Gov. Nunn hoped to recognize Kentuckians who have made significant contributions to the teaching profession. Selection is made from individuals, living or deceased, who have spent a significant portion of their professional career in Kentucky and have made noteworthy contributions to the lives of children and youth in the Commonwealth, ultimately leading to positive impacts throughout the state’s economy. WKU was selected as the home of the Kentucky Teacher Hall of Fame because of its more than 100-year history in teacher education.
Mattie Jo Smith
Mattie Jo Smith, a native of Benton in Marshall County, earned her teaching certificate from Murray State Teachers College (1938) and her B.S. degree in education (1957) from Murray State University.
Smith started her teaching career at Breezeel (1938-40), a one-room school in Marshall County where she taught first through eighth grades. Her starting teacher salary was $64 a month. Smith went on to teach junior high math and English for Benton Independent School District (1952-80) until her retirement (1980). Former student Charlotte Brien Wilzbach said: “Mrs. Smith established a climate of order and respect; in turn, her students were eager to please her. Furthermore, she cultivated a spirit of ownership.”
Following retirement, Smith remained active in the Kentucky Retired Teachers Association (KRTA) at the local, regional and state level. She served as treasurer of the First District KRTA for 20 years. Additionally, she served as president of the Marshall County Retired Teachers Association for 19 years, volunteered at the local hospital (30 years), and for over a half century she used her teaching skills as a Sunday School teacher in her church and as the leader of Women’s Missionary Union.
Ellen Fisk, a former student and colleague, stated: “There is an aura about her that indicates that neither young nor old have reached the peak of their accomplishments; she magnifies and conveys the abiding potential in everyone. A common mantra of hers is, ‘Can’t never could!’ ”
Smith’s children, Susan Smith Barnard of Radford, Virginia, and Phillip Smith of Lawrenceville, Georgia, will accompany their mother to the Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Frankfort.
