Hazel Lorson Caster
Hazel Lorson Castor was born in Attleboro, Massachusetts, on September 15, 1925, and was an honor graduate from Norton (Mass.) High School in 1943. After attending Salem Teachers College, where she was active in sports, she was graduated from American International College in Springfield with a B.A. in French and minors in English, education, history, and psychology. Subsequently she attended Boston University and the University of Colorado in Boulder and in 1957 received an M.A. in education from American International College. Her further studies included courses at Oxford, London School of Economics, Loyola University in Rome, Italy, University of Cuzco (Peru), and the University of Kyoto (Japan), among others.
After teaching English, French, history, and drama at Bridgewater (Maine) Classical Academy in 1947-48, she taught English, French, and girls' sports at Woodstock Academy, where she also coached the girls' basketball team and cheerleaders. The following year found her back in Massachusetts as assistant librarian at the Attleboro Public Library.
In 1950, Hazel came to teach at Branford Junior High School, the same year that fellow inductee Harold Brewer became principal. During her 39-year tenure in the Branford schools, later moving on to the high school, she taught both English and French. In addition, she directed several plays and started the Oxford Club and Cosmopolitan Club to prepare students for international travel and study and chaperoned student groups during spring and summer vacations on trips to England, Scotland, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, the Middle East, and the Caribbean. Among her state-side teaching endeavors outside the classroom, Hazel served as an advisor to the Hornet and the school magazine. She was also a member of the Helping Teachers Program and served on the state board of the Scholastic Press Association. Her other professional affiliations included NEATE, BEA, CEA, NEA, and NCTE. For NCTE she was co-chair of the novel division at the National Convention in Honolulu and an invitational discussant on teacher preparation at the Milwaukee National Convention.
Hazel's own travels are much more extensive than those already mentioned, including the Yucatan, Scandinavia, and the Far East, just to name a few. A serious amateur archaeologist, Hazel participated in digs near Hadrian's Wall and a medieval archaeological site in Lincolnshire, England.
A member of the First Baptist Church, where she has served as church clerk for twenty-four years, Hazel is also a member of the Sarah Circle and was a delegate to the Annual Convention and Ordination Council. She also served as Church Librarian for eight years and was honored by the church for her volunteer work.
Her intellectual curiosity and love of learning know no bounds. An avid reader and a member of Friends of Blackstone Memorial Library, Hazel is a member of the American Native Orchid Alliance (having attended conferences across the continent), the American Association of Field Botanists (in whose publications her illustrated articles have been published), and the 400 Club of the Connecticut Hiking Association (having at least once hiked every blue-blazed trail in the state).
A strong literacy advocate, Hazel donates many books to the Yale-New Haven Hospital pediatric division, a nursing home, and the South Providence Neighborhood Ministries. In addition, she donates crocheted baby afghans and quilts to Yale-New Haven and crocheted vests, stoles, and lap robes to a nursing home.
Former students remember Hazel as a teacher who had confidence in her students and encouraged them to accept challenges, pushing them to explore the far reaches of their potential. Looking back they now appreciate her as a whole person, not only as a teacher. She worked to improve the community in a score of projects and still had time to do something nice for someone every day.
After teaching English, French, history, and drama at Bridgewater (Maine) Classical Academy in 1947-48, she taught English, French, and girls' sports at Woodstock Academy, where she also coached the girls' basketball team and cheerleaders. The following year found her back in Massachusetts as assistant librarian at the Attleboro Public Library.
In 1950, Hazel came to teach at Branford Junior High School, the same year that fellow inductee Harold Brewer became principal. During her 39-year tenure in the Branford schools, later moving on to the high school, she taught both English and French. In addition, she directed several plays and started the Oxford Club and Cosmopolitan Club to prepare students for international travel and study and chaperoned student groups during spring and summer vacations on trips to England, Scotland, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, the Middle East, and the Caribbean. Among her state-side teaching endeavors outside the classroom, Hazel served as an advisor to the Hornet and the school magazine. She was also a member of the Helping Teachers Program and served on the state board of the Scholastic Press Association. Her other professional affiliations included NEATE, BEA, CEA, NEA, and NCTE. For NCTE she was co-chair of the novel division at the National Convention in Honolulu and an invitational discussant on teacher preparation at the Milwaukee National Convention.
Hazel's own travels are much more extensive than those already mentioned, including the Yucatan, Scandinavia, and the Far East, just to name a few. A serious amateur archaeologist, Hazel participated in digs near Hadrian's Wall and a medieval archaeological site in Lincolnshire, England.
A member of the First Baptist Church, where she has served as church clerk for twenty-four years, Hazel is also a member of the Sarah Circle and was a delegate to the Annual Convention and Ordination Council. She also served as Church Librarian for eight years and was honored by the church for her volunteer work.
Her intellectual curiosity and love of learning know no bounds. An avid reader and a member of Friends of Blackstone Memorial Library, Hazel is a member of the American Native Orchid Alliance (having attended conferences across the continent), the American Association of Field Botanists (in whose publications her illustrated articles have been published), and the 400 Club of the Connecticut Hiking Association (having at least once hiked every blue-blazed trail in the state).
A strong literacy advocate, Hazel donates many books to the Yale-New Haven Hospital pediatric division, a nursing home, and the South Providence Neighborhood Ministries. In addition, she donates crocheted baby afghans and quilts to Yale-New Haven and crocheted vests, stoles, and lap robes to a nursing home.
Former students remember Hazel as a teacher who had confidence in her students and encouraged them to accept challenges, pushing them to explore the far reaches of their potential. Looking back they now appreciate her as a whole person, not only as a teacher. She worked to improve the community in a score of projects and still had time to do something nice for someone every day.