WKU News

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The Governor Louie B. Nunn Kentucky Teacher Hall of Fame is set to welcome four new members into its ranks. Jesse Brown, Helen Russell, Kimberlea Embry, and Donna Smith have been selected as the newest additions to the 15th class. These distinguished individuals, who were chosen by a statewide selection committee, are scheduled to be officially inducted on Friday, December 1, at the Western Kentucky University campus as part of the 2023 Hall of Fame ceremony.

Jesse Brown retired from Glasgow Independent Schools after 30 years of teaching high school history and continues to teach as a substitute for the district. The late Helen Russell worked for 44 years in education in Barren County as a social studies teacher, instructional specialist, and curriculum coordinator. Kimberlea Embry is a current teacher at Butler County High School where she has taught for 32 years and counting. The late Donna Smith taught math to students at Allen County – Scottsville High School for 30 years. Full biographies for all the inductees will be released on December 1. 

The Governor Louie B. Nunn Kentucky Teacher Hall of Fame was created in 2000 through a gift by former Gov. Nunn, who hoped to recognize the vital role that classroom teachers in Kentucky play in the education of young people and the positive impact education has on the state’s economy.  WKU was selected as the home of the Teacher Hall of Fame because of its more than 100-year history in teacher education. You can learn more at https://www.wku.edu/kythf/.