Dr. Polly Browne was loved by her students and respected by her colleagues. Browne was instrumental in helping to establish the Education Department at Bethany. She taught courses in classroom management, fine arts, health and PE, linguistics, literacy, mathematics, and social studies. Over the course of Polly’s thirty-five-year career as a teacher and professor, so many students were touched by her passion for teaching and sharing the love of Jesus through the gospel.
Polly’s enthusiasm for serving her Lord and Savior, while helping her students discover that same joy in serving God’s Kingdom, moved a group of friends and supporters to create the Polly Browne Distinguished Chair in the College’s Education Department. The Chair is supported in part through an endowment created by this donation.
Bethany and these friends of Polly are encouraging others who’ve been touched by Polly’s life as an educator to help support the fund. The group’s gift provides up to $200,000 in matching funds to encourage others to support the fund. Anyone contributing to the Polly Browne Distinguished Chair will have their gift matched dollar for dollar until the funds have been used.
The Distinguished Chair provides funding for a professorship in the Bethany Education Department with the goal that Bethany students will have opportunities to work directly with elementary through high school students enhancing their reading skills while ensuring the vibrancy and promotion of literacy instruction in elementary, middle, and high school settings. These goals were a lifelong passion for Polly.
If you would like to contribute to the Polly Browne Distinguished Chair at Bethany Lutheran College, please call the Advancement Office at 507-344-7313 or use the Donate Now button.