2025 AOY Honoree, College of Education - Class of 1952, 1956
Marilyn Ludwig earned a bachelor’s (’52) and master’s (’56) in education from the University of Arizona. After graduation, Marilyn taught for 48 years in southern Arizona, making a difference in the lives of countless students. She was instrumental in opening Peter Howell Elementary and Sewell Elementary in the Tucson Unified School District. She also was selected as a “Helping Teacher” by TUSD based on her aptitude for designing classroom curriculums to meet the diverse educational needs of students while encouraging them to take an active part in their own learning. Toward the end of her career, Marilyn became a Curriculum Generalist, partnering with TUSD and publishers to choose new reading and math adoptions, then training teachers to implement the new curricula.
Marilyn lived a life of service to others and was proudly involved with several literacy and professional educational organizations, including Literacy Connects, Libraries Limited, Tucson Reading Counsel, Delta Kappa Gamma, Alpha Delta Kappa and Pi Lambda Theta. In addition to serving her community, Marilyn was dedicated to the U of A. She was a long-time member of the College of Education Alumni Council and served as its president, and she spent her summers teaching reading clinics at the university. A generous donor for over three decades and now through her estate, Marilyn supported numerous scholarships, including one named in her honor. She also supported community outreach programs, cancer research and more. Marilyn passed away in 2023, but her impact will continue to be felt for decades to come. Her lifelong devotion to education exemplifies the College of Education’s mission as well as the University of Arizona’s.
