Suzanne Edmondson is the founder of several programs such as ''Tales for the Rising Moon'' and ''The Friends of Eddie Warrior Foundation'', all aiding in the rehabilitation and education of incarcerated women. The program allocates funds for textbooks and tuition that allows inmates the opportunity to earn their associate of arts degree through

Connors State College Connors State College is a public community college in Warner and Muskogee, Oklahoma. History The college was founded as an agricultural high school in 1908 and was quickly converted to a school of agriculture. When Oklahoma became a state i ...

. Among other honors, Edmondson was inducted into the

Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame was established in 1982 by Oklahoma Governor George Nigh "to honor Oklahoma women who are pioneers in their field or in a project that benefits Oklahoma; who have made a significant contribution to the State of Oklahoma ...

in 2009.

Early life

Suzanne Edmondson (b. 1945) was born in

Moline, Illinois Moline ( ) is a city located in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. With a population of 42,985 in 2020, it is the largest city in Rock Island County. Moline is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring East Moline, Illinois, East M ...

and grew up in the Quad Cities area. She attended high school in

Rock Island, Illinois Rock Island is a city in and the county seat of Rock Island County, Illinois, Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The original Rock Island, from which the city name is derived, is now called Rock Island Arsenal, Arsenal Island. The popul ...

. Edmondson attended Marycrest College, a women's college in

Davenport, Iowa Davenport is a city in and the county seat of Scott County, Iowa, United States. Located along the Mississippi River on the eastern border of the state, it is the largest of the Quad Cities, a metropolitan area with a population of 384,324 and a ...

and eventually transferred to the University of San Diego College for Women. She met her husband, Jim, in San Diego as he was stationed there as a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

in the

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...

. Suzanne did not finish her degree but instead married and raised her children. She remained very involved with community work through Girl Scouts, the

YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, originally ...

, and the PTA. For six years, Edmondson served as President of Friends of the Library in Muskogee.

Volunteer Work

In 1996, she began training for a certification in Laubach Literacy. She took her training and became a literacy tutor for several years, working with incarcerated women. In 1997, Edmondson incorporated ''Friends of the Eddie Warrior Foundation''. The Foundation's purpose is to help provide a college education for women incarcerated at Eddie Warrior. The funds cover tuition and books and allow inmates to earn their associate of arts degrees through

. Edmondson also started a writing program that helps incarcerated women become writers, offering classes and prompts. Another one of her programs, ''Tales for the Rising Moon'', a program in which inmates are recorded reading books to their children, has been featured in ''People'' magazine. Edmondson was inducted into the

in 2009. She also received the Medal of Honor from the

Daughters of the American Revolution The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a person involved in the United States' efforts towards independence. A non-profit group, they promote ...

and was named Volunteer of the Year by

Oklahoma Department of Corrections The Oklahoma Department of Corrections (DOC or ODOC) is an agency of the state of Oklahoma. DOC is responsible for the administration of the state prison system. It has its headquarters in Oklahoma City, across the street from the headquarters o ...

for her service to female inmates.

Notes

References

External links

Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame Oral History Project -- OSU Library
{{DEFAULTSORT:Edmondson, Suzanne 1945 births Living people People from Moline, Illinois People from San Diego People from Muskogee, Oklahoma People from Oklahoma City