Edna Merson

Dr. Edna May Merson began her career of forty-one years in Baltimore County, Maryland as an elementary teacher, teaching vice-principal, vice-principal and principal. She earned her B.S. degree from Towson University and her M.A. and Ed.D. from the University of Maryland at College Park.

She also served as an instructor at Towson State, the University of Maryland (College Park), Johns Hopkins University, and Goucher College. She held office in local, state, national, and international professional organizations, including the presidency of the Baltimore County Association of Elementary School Administrators, Towson State Alumni Association, Maryland Department of Elementary School Principals, the Women Educators of Baltimore County, the Maryland Retired Teachers Association, the National Association of Elementary School Principals, and Alpha Beta State of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society. As Northeast Regional Director for the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, she served on numerous international committees as well as the Executive Boards of the National Parent and Teachers Association and McGruff.

She participated in a number of programs including the First Amendment Congress Meeting, the National Governor’s Conference, and the Eighth Forum of the U.S. Department of Education in Philadelphia. Closer to home, she rendered varied community service. Among the honors she received are: National Distinguished Principal for Maryland, Soroptimist Woman of the Year, Girl Scouts of Central Maryland Unsung Heroine Award. As a Girl Scout Leader in the Baltimore Highlands/Lansdowne area, she participated as a leader for the 1956 National Roundup in Michigan and as an Assistant Camp Director for the 1959 National Roundup in Colorado.

Her work with the national Education Association led to an appointment as a tour director for three tours to Alaska during summer months.

After her retirement, she traveled extensively as President of the National Elementary Principals and then was sent to the Far East to work with principals of American Independent Schools. She served as Executive Director of the Council of Educational Administrative and Supervisory Organizations of Maryland for thirteen years. A scholarship was created by the Board of CEASOM in her name. In addition, Towson University Alumni Association and University of Maryland present several scholarships yearly in her name.

She was inducted into the Maryland Senior Citizens Hall of Fame, receiving the “Geri” award in 2004. In recognition of her community service to Lansdowne, the Lansdowne Improvement Association dedicated a bench in the new library in her honor. She is survived by her nephew, David Galley of Lucas, TX and her niece, Joyce Raynes of Mount Crawford, VA.

Family & friends may gather at the family owned & operated Ambrose Funeral Home of Lansdowne, 2719 Hammonds Ferry Rd., Lansdowne, MD 21227 for a public visitation on Wednesday, March 24th from 11:00AM-12:00PM where a funeral service will begin at 12:00PM. The service will be livestreamed on our Facebook page and can be found by going to www.facebook.com/ambrosefuneralhomesandcremationservices . We are a business page and can be found even if you do not have an account. A private interment will be held following the service.

In lieu of flowers, please send a donation to the Scholarship Fund in her name at Towson University, 8000 York Rd., Towson, MD; the College of Education at the University of Maryland—College Park, MD; or Homewood at Plum Creek, Hanover, PA.