Irene Murphy is principal at Mason Elementary School in Mason County. Among her many accomplishments is the development of a reading program that tripled the number of volumes read by Mason srudents per year from 1987 to 1991. Ms. Murphy began the program in 1987 with a promise to dress up like a monkey and give the students a banana-split party if they read a total of 3,000 books by June 1. When the students read 7,000, she delivered on her promise. Ms. Murphy's creativity also shows in her career awareness program, for which parent volunteers painted hallway career decorations about vocations in today's world. A half-day "internship" program for sixth graders further reinforces an awareness of opportunities in the importance of goal-setting for Mason students.
1973 Ohio University, B.A.
