Jacksonville – Dr. E. Claire Jerry, professor of history and communication at MacMurray College, was presented the 2006 Dewey E. Wilkins Award for Excellence in Teaching during MacMurray College’s 155th commencement Saturday, May 6th, 2005.

     MacMurray President, Lawrence D. Bryan, announced his selection for the prestigious annual award and presented Dr. Jerry with a medallion and monetary award of $1,000. This is the second time she has received the honor.

      She was recommended for the award by a committee composed of a faculty member from each division of the College, recent alumni and representative students.

     “The designation ‘master teacher’ is perhaps an overused phrase,” said Dr. Bryan.” There are precious few of us who, in truth, master any task or profession. I believe, however, that Dr. Jerry comes very close to the true descriptive sense of the ‘master teacher’ designation.

     And the inspiring thing about Dr. Jerry is that, based upon my observation, the closer she gets to such mastery the harder she tries.”

      Now in its 21st year, the Wilkins Award was endowed by Mrs. Irene Jones Putnam of Peoria, a MacMurray alumna and widow of Dewey Wilkins. A Peoria businessman, he served on the MacMurray College Board of Trustees, then as an honorary trustee until his death in 1976.

     Dr. Jerry holds a B.A. from Butler University, an M.A. from Miami University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Kansas. Dr. Jerry came to the College in 1992. A very popular teacher, she was also a past recipient of the United Methodist Board of Higher Education Award for Teaching Excellence at the College. She teaches courses in political communication and American women's history. She particularly enjoys helping students present their work at professional conferences. She also directs the college's public speaking program and teaches the senior course in the Issues of Community and Conflict sequence.

     Dr. Jerry currently resides in Jacksonville with her husband, Glen, and their two children, David and Thomas.

     Located in Jacksonville, Ill., MacMurray College is a private, four-year, liberal arts, coeducational college, founded in 1846, and affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Its friendly, informal environment stresses academic excellence, personal attention, career experience, and well-rounded development of each individual.