Edwin Fenton Papers

Edwin "Ted" Fenton was born on September 16, 1921 and attended East Liverpool High School in Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Political Science from the College of Wooster in 1948. He finished a Masters in History at Harvard University in 1949. From 1950 to 1954, Fenton taught high school history. In 1954, he joined the History Department at Carnegie Institute of Technology. He earned his Doctorate in History from Harvard University in 1958. In 1964, he became a full professor at Carnegie Institute of Technology.

Fenton was active in many activities focused on curriculum development and the teaching of Social Sciences. At Carnegie Mellon University, he was the Director of five National Defense Education Act Institutes in History, four Experienced Teacher Fellowship Programs, and co-director for three Summer Institutes. He was also the Director of the Social Studies Curriculum Center, the Civic Education Project, and various educational centers based at the University from 1966-1992. He was the founder of the University Teaching Center in 1982.

Edwin Fenton organized over 200 workshops about curriculum development in thirty-one states and nine foreign countries. He was also a consultant for more than 100 American schools, as well as schools in Israel, the Philippines, Iceland, Sweden, and Department of Defense Dependant Schools in Germany, Italy, and Belgium. He wrote more than 200 books, articles, and educational films.

In 1964, Fenton won the William S. and Frances A. Ryan Teaching Award at Carnegie Institute of Technology. In 1967, Ted won the Middle States Council Gold Medal for a major published contribution to social studies education. And in 1989 he was awarded the Robert Doherty Prize for Excellence in Education from the University.