Eleanor Bosworth Shannon

Eleanor Bosworth Shannon, 74, widely revered for her contributions to education and the Charlottesville community and the widow of former University President Edgar F. Shannon Jr., died March 3 in Charlottesville.

Mrs. Shannon received a B.A. degree in international relations magna cum laude from Sweet Briar College in 1947 and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She earned a master's degree in history from Cornell University in 1949.

From 1949 to 1955, she was an assistant professor of history at Southwestern College in Memphis (now Rhodes College) and was the acting dean of women for three years.

She married Edgar Shannon Jr. in 1956 and they moved from Cambridge, Mass., where he had been teaching at Harvard, to Charlottesville, where he joined the U.Va. English faculty.

In 1959, Mr. Shannon was elected president of the University and Mrs. Shannon became the "first lady."

In 1972, Mrs. Shannon received the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award in recognition of excellence of character and service to humanity.

Mrs. Shannon was a founding board member of The Learning Center, which helped transform the teaching of special needs students in Charlottesville. With the help of her husband, who died in 1997, and other colleagues, Mrs. Shannon also created a foundation to support excellence in teaching in the public schools. Since 1990, the foundation -- now known as The Edgar and Eleanor Shannon Foundation for Excellence in the Charlottesville-Albemarle Schools -- has held an annual competition for innovative teaching ideas and has awarded approximately $100,000 in grants.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions should be sent to: The Edgar and Eleanor Shannon Foundation for Excellence, 1368 Reas Ford Road, Earlysville, VA 22936; or The Eleanor and Millard Bosworth Scholarship Fund at Rhodes College, 2000 North Parkway, Memphis, TN 38112-1690. .