Margaret J. Early was Professor Emeritus at the University of Florida, Gainesville, where she was Professor and Chair of the Department of Instruction and Curriculum from 1985 to 1990. A native of Dedham, MA, Early completed her Ed.D. in English and reading education in 1954 at Boston University. She was on the faculty at Syracuse University from 1954 to 1985, serving as a Professor and, at various times, Head of English Education, Associate Director of the Reading and Language Arts Center, and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.

Early was the author of numerous chapters, articles, and essays on teaching reading and language arts, was the senior author of Reading to Learn in Grades 5 to 12 (Harcourt, 1984) and the HBJ Bookmark Reading Program. She was also coeditor of the Journal of Reading and on the Boards of Directors of the International Reading Association, National Society for the Study of Education, and Institute for Learning in Retirement at Oak Hammock. She served as President of the New York State English Council, National Conference on Research in English, and the National Council of Teachers of English. In addition to her election to the Reading Hall of Fame in the mid-1980s, Early’s contributions to the profession were recognized with her receipt of the International Reading Association’s William S. Gray’s Citation of Merit and the Distinguished Service Award from the National Council of Teachers of English. At her passing, a 2008 English Journal tribute by Ben Nelms described Early as one of the “pioneers in confronting the reading issues faced by middle and secondary school students” (p. 16).

In addition to her generous collaborations with students and colleagues across decades, multiple organizations benefitted from Early’s quiet financial generosity at her death in 2008, including the Syracuse University School of Education, Literacy Volunteers of America, and the Central New York Community Foundation. Notably, Early had also established an Early Incentive Scholarship for an entire grade six class at a middle school in Syracuse, providing encouragement in various forms as these students progressed through middle and high school. On the day Early died, seven students graduated from this program and received college scholarships.

In his 2008 EJ tribute, Nelms described Early as “a dignified, private, and self-effacing individual,” a description that would be corroborated by all who knew her. Despite her reluctance to dwell on her accomplishments, Margaret Early well deserved the accolades she collected through her decades-long career, as well as the gratitude of generations of former students, colleagues, and recipients of her generosity in all its forms.