 Home | Recent News | Newton | Senator Arlen Spector Visits Teacher 17 Jun 2007 Sen. Arlen Spector Visits Teacher in NewtonIt’s not every day a high-ranking member of the U.S. Senate finds his way to Newton. But if one of the senator’s favorite teachers lives here, he just might make the trip.
During the Memorial Day weekend, four men who live in different parts of the country came to the Presbyterian Manor in Newton to pay tribute to a special teacher from their past — their high school debate coach Ada Mae Haury.
While teaching English at Russell High School in 1940s, Haury, also was the debate coach. She left a lasting impression on the men –– Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter; Kent Scherer from Portland, Ore., Gene Balloun of Kansas City, and Steve Mills, Beverly Hills, Calif.
Haury taught at Russell High School for two years before getting married and raising her family.
Teaching at Russell was her third assignment as a teacher. Haury’s career began in Falun where she taught for two years, coaching the debate team to a state championship. After that, she came back to her hometown of Halstead for a year before going to Russell.
Specter, who is a ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, jokingly credited Haury –– because of her tough teaching techniques –– for making Alberto Gonzales, U.S. attorney general, very nervous. Specter has been conducting an investigation into the questionable firings of federal prosecutors and has projected that Gonzales will resign.
Haury began teaching in the speech department at Bethel College once her children were older. For her 18 years of service to the college in North Newton, she was given the title professor emeritus.
Specter said that back then, Russell had oil money and used it to hire the best teachers they could find. Bob Dole graduated from Russell four years before this class.
The group of men, who were on the debate team and all gradated from high school 61 years ago, decided to visit Haury over the holiday weekend and shared fond memories of high school.
Article printed courtesy of the Newton Kansan.
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