Two area educators to be inducted into Kansas Teachers Hall of Fame

The Junction City Union, Kan.
·1 min read

Apr. 1—Two area educators will be inducted into the Kansas Teachers Hall of Fame this summer.

Junction City Middle School librarian Mary Jane Witt and former Manhattan-Ogden School District administrator Carol Adams were named as inductees into the Class of 2022. Kansas Teachers Hall of Fame district leaders voted on this year's inductees and announced the class on March 26.

Witt is in her second year as a media specialist and librarian at JCMS, and in her 30th year working for USD 475 Geary County. This is her 36th year in education; she said she started teaching in 1986. Witt has also served as a volleyball coach in the district since 1995 and will be moving from leading the 7th grade team to the 8th grade team this coming school year. She's also served as the middle school track coach since 2002.

Adams' education career lasted 40 years until she retired as USD 383's executive director of teaching and learning in 2016. She began as an English teacher in 1976 at Westmoreland High School, and then taught at Manhattan High School from 1978 to 2005. During her time at MHS, Adams established the high school's advanced placement English literature and composition course in the early 1980s.

Adams and Witt are joined in this year's class by Michal Austin of Potwin, Joanne Emerick of Hoxie, Bette Milleson James of Hoxie, Julie McCreight of Leon and Sherry Pfeifer of Maize. The class will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in a ceremony on June 3 and 4; Hall of Fame officials have not yet announced a venue for the ceremony.