Edith Bowen Laboratory School

The Whittier Bench

The Whittier Bench was originally housed at the Whittier School (1928-1957), forerunner to the Edith Bowen Laboratory School (EBLS). It was “the bench” in the principal’s office for many years; children sat there while waiting to see the principal, as did parents and guests at the school. The bench was purchased from the school by Edith Shaw, a former director at the Whittier School and professor in USU’s Elementary Education Department, who donated it to the College of Education. It was lovingly restored by Dr. Jay Monson and his wife, Jane, and now sits in the front office of EBLS.

Kaye Rhees Kindergarten Classroom
Room 117

Even as a 4-year-old, Kaye Rhees dreamed of being a teacher. This dream eventually led her to serve as Edith Bowen Laboratory School principal for more than 30 years, creating a long list of accomplishments that have shaped the school and its students.

Kaye first spent time at USU as a university student. She obtained both a bachelor’s and master’s before teaching in Plain City, Utah for five years. In 1980, she took a job at Edith Bowen and moved into its administration in 1992.

In the mid-1990s, Kaye brought an arts program to Edith Bowen through a 10-year grant from the Emma Eccles Jones Foundation. She oversaw the school’s transition from a one-story building with 11 classrooms to a two-story, state-of-the-art edifice large enough for both elementary students and USU students. After months of her own work and research, Kaye watched as the Logan City School Board approved the chartering of the lab school that for years sat in a tangled web of financial channels and ownership.

The Beverley Taylor Sorenson Classroom
Room 137

Beverley Taylor Sorenson was an arts educator with an unending drive to bring dance, music, drama and visual arts into the classroom. Beverley’s passion for the arts began when she was a child. She recalled, “We had a piano in our home, and mom saw to it that we all practiced.” Her older sisters, Helen and Virginia, were very talented and taught Beverley to play. While living in New York City as a young woman, Beverley took piano lessons from a concert pianist.

Beverley believed a strong arts program would raise test scores and foster a love of learning that would benefit Utah as a whole. She devoted much of her life to bringing arts education into every school in Utah. In July 2008 in Philadelphia, Beverley Taylor Sorenson was recognized by the governors of the nation for her public service, one of eight individuals to be honored nationally. At the ceremony, former Utah Governor Jon M. Huntsman called the Sorenson’s “perhaps the most generous family in our state.”

Anne Carroll Moore Library (1871-1961)
Room 201

Anne Carroll Moore was born in Limerick, Maine, on July 12, 1871. She became the children’s librarian of the Pratt Institute Free Library. After ten years at Pratt, she assumed the position of superintendent of Work with Children in the New York Public Library. In 1899, she wrote to the American Library Association to ask for the creation of a Children’s Division. A year later she was elected president of the new Children’s Library Section. She influenced children’s library services, not only in the United States, but in Japan, Russia, Sweden, India and many other countries. In 1927, she was invited by then Agricultural College of Utah (now USU) President E.G. Peterson to guest lecture on campus. She fell in love with Logan, and before returning to New York, she wrote to her publishing and author friends to ask them to donate books for a children’s collection on campus. One such author was Theodore Geisel, more commonly known as Dr. Seuss. The collection opened in 1937 and was named in her honor.

Anne retired from the New York Public Library in 1941. The Anne Carroll Moore Library, which has continued to grow over time, was moved from the main campus library to Edith Bowen Laboratory School in 1957. Today, the library carries on the same philosophy of offering the best in children’s literature, as well as providing resources such as electronic databases and internet access.

The Theresa K. Eckenbrecht Allred Reading Theater (1926-2012)
Room 201

The Theresa K. Eckenbrecht Allred Reading Theatre was dedicated at the Edith Bowen Laboratory School on March 4, 2005.

Theresa dedicated her teaching career to young children. Called by one a “legendary kindergarten teacher,” she sought to inspire children to love life and learning and to persevere through challenges. She truly taught from the heart, and her work is marked by vision and compassion. She was a champion of learning and a lover of the words and pictures of children’s literature.

The reading room is part of the Anne Carol Moore Library at Edith Bowen School. It is a comfortable center for reading or lecture activities, featuring a tiered amphitheater-style seating area and a gas fireplace that adds to the home-like feeling.