Building project moves forward
Jansons’ pledge provides fundraising momentum
More than four decades have passed since Bob Janson taught his first class, but he remembers exactly how he felt during that first year in the classroom.
Perhaps it’s because his enthusiasm for serving as an educator has never changed.
“I remember telling one of my colleagues that first year, ‘I love this job so much, I’d do it for nothing.’ I felt that same way right up until I retired,” says Janson, ’62, who began his career teaching in the Lakeview St. Clair Shores School District and eventually retired in 1997 as superintendent of the Mount Pleasant Public School District. “I definitely would do it all over again.”
Janson’s wife, Cathie, ’63, also is a longtime educator who shares his passion for education. She invested her career in teaching at the elementary and middle school levels in the Lakeview St. Clair Shores and St. Louis public school districts. She also taught classes in reading at CMU.
The Jansons’ collective interests in education and unwavering commitment to their alma mater inspired them to make a $50,000 pledge to name one of the Reading Clinic classrooms in the new Education Building at CMU. The Reading Clinic was of particular interest to them because of Cathie’s deep interest in the importance of the teaching of reading, which is a fundamental to learning.
“Our undergraduate degrees prepared us well for our careers in public education,” Bob Janson says. “Our gift is given to thank CMU and also to help support CMU in its mission to prepare future public school educators.”
The new technology-rich Education Building will consolidate CMU’s education-related programs and increase collaboration for research, classes, and special projects.
“Cathie and I are enthused by what the college wants to do with this building to continue providing excellent training for public school teachers,” says Janson, who is chairing the Education Building Steering Committee. “The future is going to depend on strong public education, and anything CMU can do to enhance teacher training we are pleased to be able to support.” •
