Remember Elinor Haas' Birthday Open House

Elinor Haas’ 80^th Birthday Open House Celebration

January 11, 2015 (Sunday)

2-4 PM with comments at 3:00

Eisenhower Library Courtyard

Please share this information with family, teachers, friends, and Elinor’s former students.

Elinor Haas relaxes at home with a few of the books she is currently reading. “I have enough books to start my own library and bookshelves in every room,” she said. - photo by Meta Newell West

by Meta Newell West

Elinor Haas doesn’t mind getting older, but she says, “I just never wanted to get old!” Despite the fact she turns 80 this month, Elinor is still young at heart. Her schedule has slowed down a bit, but she still makes an effort to enjoy life to the fullest and continues to touch the lives of many while making contributions to her community.

In 1957 Elinor began her career teaching English at Abilene High School. Her wit, wisdom, and humor are legendary, and she proudly acknowledges the “red pen” nickname she earned from students. “I use it for my email address and it’s even displayed on my car tag,” she explained. And, she added, “I really, really enjoyed teaching. I enjoyed my students and fellow faculty members.”

According to one former student, Linda Bankes, who would later become one of those fellow faculty members, “Mrs. Haas made a difference in young peoples’ lives for 37 years.” Actually, Linda was even on hand and made a similar comment when Elinor was inducted into the Kansas Teachers’ Hall of Fame, an exclusive organization that recognizes and honors exceptional career teachers.

Elinor has also shared her wit, wisdom, and humor with countless groups and organizations in the county. Programs have ranged from scholarly to historical, even fun topics including the origins of slang. “You name it, I’ll do it!” she says. Mary Rickley, a former Chapman Middle School teacher, recalls Elinor’s trips to Chapman to give programs on the history and origin of tea, a presentation done in conjunction with a study of ancient China. “We always finished by having a tea party and Elinor always helped me serve,” Mary recalls, and then added, “Elinor also spent time during the summer months as a volunteer with CMS’s summer reading program. She read to them and reinforced how important reading was.”

In the summer of 1990, Elinor began giving guided tours to visitors at the Eisenhower Museum, and she’s volunteered there ever since. Some of her jobs have included preservation work, indexing documents, working on oral histories, helping with their 5-Star program, presenting Elderhostel programs, and serving as an usher. When President Eisenhower’s former secretary visited Abilene, Elinor interviewed her, creating a video program that was later made available to the public. Judy Burgess, friend and former AHS colleague, said, “That interview was as professional as any TV anchor could ever hope to do.” And in December of 2008, Elinor’s extensive work with the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum was recognized when she received a national volunteer award from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) for her years working with collections donated to the library.

In addition to all the time she spends at the Eisenhower Center (at least twice a week these days), the Smoky Valley Railroad and Abilene Public Library are also recipients of her expertise. Currently she’s in charge of the railroad’s newsletter but has also presented programs on their excursion train. Her lifelong love for books spurred her interest in the public library; she has served as president of their board and currently runs the Friends of the Library’s bookstore. 

As she looks back over the years, there’s not too much she’d change. “Well, I always thought I might write the great American novel,” she quipped, and then added, “I do like to write.” During her years at AHS, her skills as a poet were often sought, and she was known for her humorous verses that perfectly fit a myriad of situations. In addition, some of her more serious poetry has even been published.  

One bittersweet thing about turning 80 is the fact that husband Wayne is not here for the celebration. Elinor met her husband of 46 years when her family moved from Solomon to a farm east of Enterprise. They both graduated from Enterprise High School but didn’t start dating until she had graduated from Kansas Wesleyan and was teaching at AHS. He loved animals, especially dogs, and both he and Elinor became very attached to several Miniature Schnauzers over the years.

Elinor would be perfectly happy celebrating her birthday with a stash of chocolate and a good book or two or doing another crossword puzzle. And, although she is humbled by the gesture, she is certainly looking forward to the birthday celebration being planned by a group of friends and former co-workers. In true Elinor humor, she advises, “Be sure to watch the weather. Eighty years ago I came into this world amidst a blizzard. The doctor didn’t even arrive until after I was already born.”

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