Biographical Information:

Annie Margaret McCowen was born January 31, 1893 in Forsyth, Georgia.  McCowen attended the Bessie Tift College, a private liberal arts college for women, in Forsyth.  She graduated with an A.B in 1911 and began teaching in a Georgia county school.  After a short time as a teacher, McCowen enrolled in New York's Columbia University Teachers College.  She received her B.S. degree in 1915 and went on to teach at the East Carolina Training School.  She returned to Columbia and earned her M.A. in 1921.  After leaving Columbia, McCowen joined the faculty of the Colorado State Teachers College in Greeley.  She took a leave of absence to pursue her  PhD from the University of Iowa, which she received in 1929.

McCowen served as a training teacher in the laboratory school, principal for the Ernest Horn School and an advisor for elementary education majors.  She co-authored two series of textbooks with fellow Colorado State College of Education faculty members Lucile Harrison and Paul McKee.  The widely used Language for Meaning and Reading for Meaning went through four editions and was used internationally.

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of five diaries detailing McCowen's life and career at the Colorado State College of Education. The diaries include commentary on national and regional events, changes to the campus, details on McCowen's scholarly work and a wide range of other information both personal and professional.

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Detailed List of Contents