Former IRA president Marie Clay dies at 81

 Dame Marie Clay, a member of the Reading Hall of Fame and one of the world’s most distinguished researchers of educational literacy, died today at age 81. Her Reading Recovery early intervention program is credited with changing the face of primary school literacy worldwide and is now being widely used in Australia, Great Britain, Canada, and the United States.

A native of Wellington, New Zealand, Dame Marie served as president of the International Reading Association in 1992–93, the only non–North American ever to hold that office. Speaking of her passing, IRA Executive Director Alan Farstrup noted, “Dame Marie was a true friend to all of us and a renowned leader of our profession. Her wise and calm counsel will be sorely missed.”

See the Association’s press release for additional information about Marie Clay’s contributions to the field of literacy. More information may be found in The New Zealand Herald.