When she retired as associate professor of English and literature at Central Missouri State College in 1953, Anna Marie Todd was believed to be the longest serving teacher in the institution’s 82 year history. She had completed 45 years of service to the college.
Born in 1882 in Seneca, Kansas, her family moved west to Washington state. As a high school student she earned her teaching certificate. Her first stint at small country school prompted her to earn a 64-hour diploma at Cheney Normal School. Instead of taking a schoolhouse job, she taught for four years at Cheney. Summers were spent studying at the University of Chicago. Todd began her tenure at Central Missouri State College in 1908. At first she was a supervisor of English in the Training School for teachers and then at the university.
The Nu Chapter of Sigma Sigma Sigma was installed on November 29, 1915, as the first sorority on the Central Missouri campus. Todd was a charter member and a faculty sponsor of the chapter. During a fall 1945 recruitment party, she read several selections of poetry.
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She seems to have been a well-loved and inspirational teacher. An article in the University of Central Missouri Magazine, noted “Above all, Miss Todd was a master teacher. She knew the secret of leading young people to the excitement of reading great literature.”
Todd was also a member of AAUW, P.E.O. and the American Association of University Professors. She enjoyed gardening and collecting Missouri antiques.
Today, the institution she served is known as the University of Central Missouri. Todd Hall, a women’s residence hall built in 1961, was named in her honor. Today Todd Hall is an upper class residence consisting of mainly one bedroom apartments.
Todd died on January 20, 1962 and sundial was dedicated to her on May 16, 1962. The sundial was placed in the Todd Memorial Garden, on the south side of Todd Hall. The program included the reading of Todd’s poems.
