Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Access restrictions

AV materials in Series 4.3 through 4.5 have not been reviewed due to a lack of playback equipment and may have access restrictions. The open reel video titled "Learning About Learning Disabilities: Lokerson/Blankenship" in Series 4.4 is restricted due to preservation issues present on the film. Please consult Special Collections and Archives Staff for details. The rest of the collection is otherwise open for research.

Preferred Citation

Jean Lokerson papers, 1944-2011, Collection # M 555, Special Collections and Archives, James Branch Cabell Library, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA.

Acquisition Information

Gift of Jean Lokerson, 2011 and 2018.

Biographical / Historical Information

Dr. Jean Elizabeth Lokerson was born in Maryland on August 4, 1937 to parents John and Dorothy as the oldest of five. As a child, Jean taught her younger siblings, David, Doris, Donald and Robert, in what her father called the "Lokerson Family School" set up in the basement of her childhood home (Richmond Times Dispatch, 2016). She received her B.A. in Elementary Education in 1959 from George Washington University, her M.S. in Special Education from Syracuse in 1965 and her Ph.D. in Special Education (with a minor in Human Development) in 1970 from University of Maryland.

She taught at the University of Maryland from 1968 to 1970, Southern Connecticut State University from 1970-1972, Northern Illinois University from 1972-1974, and Indiana University during the summer of 1975. Her career at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) began in 1974, when she was hired as an assistant professor in VCU's School of Education. She was the director at the Reading and Child Study Center from 1981-1983. Lokerson retired in 1996 but continued to teach at VCU as a professor emerita.

Dr. Elise Blankenship, who also studied at Syracuse, came to VCU around the same time as Lokerson. Together, Blankenship and Lokerson were known as leaders in teacher (and parent) education on understanding and working with children with learning disabilities (School of Education, undated). Blankenship and Lokerson lived, published, presented, and worked together throughout their 50 years of knowing one another.

Jean, who had muscular dystrophy, dedicated herself towards improving the lives and education of others with disabilities through her work at VCU, and through her professional service. Organizations that Jean was heavily involved with and took on leadership roles include: Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and the Division of Learning Disabilities (CEC-DLD), the Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA), and the National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities (NJCLD). She continued volunteering her time and expertise with many of these organizations after her retirement from VCU.

Jean Lokerson died at the age of 79 on November 7, 2016.

More information about Jean E. Lokerson can be found on the Social Welfare History Project website.

Sources: Blankenship, Elise. "Lokerson, Jean E." Richmond Times Dispatch (Richmond, Virginia). November 13, 2016. "1.75M gift to fund School of Education Scholarships," School of Education. Virginia Commonwealth University, accessed May 20, 2024. https://soe.vcu.edu/news/archived-articles/175m-gift-to-fund-school-of-education-scholarships.html

Scope and Contents

The papers of Jean Lokerson include six series with materials created between 1944 and 2011, with the bulk of materials created between 1970 and 2006. The papers are composed of adminstrative records, position papers, reports, correspondence, conference materials, committee materials, memoranda, audiovisual materials, test kits, and news clippings.

Series 1: Education

Includes class notes, assignments, and other material created between 1956 and 1968 during her time as a student at George Washington University, where she completed her B.A., M.S., and Ph.D.

Series 2: Career at Virginia Commonwealth University

Materials created by Lokerson during her time working at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) between 1969 and 2003. This series includes correspondence (written or received in her capacity as a professor at VCU), course materials, and materials created by the VCU School of Education (memoranda, agendas and minutes, projects, accreditation materials, etc.).

Series 3: Professional Organizations and Service

Contains materials created between 1960 and 2011 by professional organizations and/or Lokerson for professional organizations she was involved in. It consists of four sub-series. The first of these sub-series is on the Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA), and it contains agendas and minutes, committee reports, conference booklets and planning materials, position papers, drafts and positon papers, newsletters, and other administrative materials. Topically, this series addresses work LDA was involved with around learning disabilities, such as feedback on the reauthorization of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the impact of No Child Left Behind on students with learning disabilities, and education for teachers of students with learning disabilities. The second sub-series, Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and Division of Learning Disabilities (DLD) contains similar materials to the LDA series, both in terms of genre/format and subjects of materials. The third sub-series contains materials created by other national organization, some of which Lokerson worked with through her involvement with LDA and CEC/DLD, and some which Lokerson collected. These are largely position papers, newsletters, reports, and information around IDEA and No Child Left Behind. The fourth sub-series contains similar materials that were created in Virginia, many of which were created by the Virginia Department of Education.

Series 4: Audiovisual materials

Contains audiovisual materials such as films containing vignettes children with disabilites in school directed by Jean Lokerson and Elise Blankenship, audio recordings of Lokerson presenting individually or as part of panels at conferences and in other venues, student presentations, and more.

Series 5: Test Kits

A sampling of test kits collected by Lokerson, as well as order forms and other promotional materials for test kits.

Series 6: News Clippings

Contains news clippings Lokerson collected on topics such as education of students with learning disabilities, and societal attitudes towards students with learning disabilities.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged into 6 series:

Series 1: Education

Series 2: Career at Virginia Commonwealth University

Series 3: Professional Organizations and Service

--Series 3.1: Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA)

--Series 3.2: Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and Division for Learning Disabilities (DLD)

--Series 3.3: Other National Organizations and Service

--Series 3.4: Virginia Organizations and Service

Series 4: Audiovisual Materials

--Series 4.1: 16mm film

--Series 4.2: Audio cassettes

--Series 4.3: Beta video cassettes

--Series 4.4: Open reel video

--Series 4.5: U-matic video cassettes

--Series 4.6: VHS

Series 5: Test Kits

Series 6: News Clippings

Series 1 and 2 have been arranged chronologically. Series 3-6 have been arranged alphabetically in each series by folder title. Some materials within files have been arranged chronologically where it was logical (such as with memoranda, agendas and minutes, and correspondence).

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Children with disabilities -- Education
• Children with disabilities -- Federal legislation
• Council for Exceptional Children. Division of Learning Disabilities
• Disabled people -- Education
• Education, Higher -- Virginia.
• Learning Disabilities Association of America
• Learning disabilities -- Education
• Learning disabilities -- Study and teaching -- United States
• Lokerson, Jean Elizabeth
• Virginia Commonwealth University. School of Education