They could be called the dynamic duo in education at their positions at Searcy High School. Danny Shedd taught mathematics for more than 42 years, and Eloise Shedd was a sophomore Pre Advanced-Placement English teacher for 18 years. For the very first time, the Searcy Education Foundation Hall of Honor is honoring spouses together.
Dynamic might be the operable word as they were famous for their classroom management skills even though their styles were different. Mr. Shedd was calm, cool, and collected, which made learning the intricate “in’s and out’s” of algebra, geometry, and trigonometry easier for students to understand. It has often been said by his former students, “I never would have made it through my math classes without the guidance of Mr. Shedd.”
Mrs. Shedd, with her red lipstick and expressive eyes, brought Shakespeare and commas to life. It was her high energy that kept her students learning and entertained and all at the same time. Even though they had opposite styles of teaching, their classes knew who was in charge and behaved appropriately.
Danny Shedd’s teaching career began at Hazen High School after graduating with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas at Monticello and then receiving a master’s degree from Middle Tennessee State University. It was at Hazen where he met a lovely school secretary, Eloise Raper. Soon they were married, and while there, they were blessed with a son, David, and a year later: twins, Mandy and Becky.
A job opportunity became available for Mr. Shedd at Searcy High School, which he accepted, and it was also an opportunity for Mrs. Shedd to pursue her college education, first at Arkansas State University-Beebe and then at Harding University, graduating from there with a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree. Her first teaching assignment was at Kensett High School, which became Riverview Public Schools when Kensett, Judsonia, and Griffithville Schools consolidated.
Soon, Searcy High School came calling, and that provided the opportunity for the Shedds to work together.
Math, English, and meeting students’ needs were not their only life’s work. Mrs. Shedd had a wide range of interests. While at ASU-Beebe and Harding University, she enrolled in drama classes along with her English classes. That allowed her to use her artistic talents. She sewed costumes for Spring Sing hosts, helped build sets, designed costumes for the universities’ musicals, and worked on the technical aspects of the drama departments at both schools. She was an expert at baking wedding cakes and dabbled in ceramics and art of multiple disciplines. Mr. Shedd was a prize-winning bass angler, and even after he retired from teaching, he continued to tutor students who were having difficulty in their math classes.
Family did come first for Mr. and Mrs. Shedd. Their children have fond memories of the happy times in their home and how they participated in their parents’ vocation by going to so many school activities and helping with bulletin board materials and anything school related. Mandy Shedd Marsh told of the only time she received detention at SHS, and that was from her dad because she fell asleep in class. She remarked, “He wanted me to know I didn’t get any special favors just because he was my dad!”
Of Danny Shedd, his teaching colleague, Robert Mayes, said, “Danny Shedd was the consummate professional, dedicated to the education of our youth. He was a man that held the students to a high standard and the students appreciated him for his honest expectations of them. He was a man of integrity and character, and teacher and student alike held him as a person of high esteem.” Suzanne Rand, who had the privilege of teaching with Mrs. Shedd, recently said, “One thing about Eloise I admired was how she taught students to take responsibility for their lives. When students would ask for more time to complete an assignment, she would tell them: ‘Your procrastination does not make for me an emergency situation!’”
Faith was an important part of the Shedd family’s life. Mrs. Shedd taught a Sunday School class at First Baptist Church in Searcy. One of her class members Nell Darden said, “Eloise was always prepared and studied in depth to help us understand the lessons the Bible has to teach.” That would be evident as that class is named in her honor.
Eloise Shedd taught her tenth graders far more than phrases, clauses, “Wuthering Heights” and Julius Caesar. Battling breast cancer, she taught them about courage. She showed them what it means to stay positive when the odds might be against them, and how to manage it all with dignity and grace. She retired from Searcy Public Schools and passed away in 2004.
Danny Shedd passed away unexpectedly in November of 2023.
Left to cherish the memories of their parents are David, an attorney in Columbus, Ohio, Mandy Shedd Marsh, who resides in Searcy, and Becky Shedd Dunn, who lives in Clinton, Arkansas. There are ten grandchildren and one great-grandchild, who can continue the Shedd legacy.
Danny and Eloise Shedd will be inducted posthumously into the Searcy Public Education Foundation as Outstanding Educators on January 31, 2025, in the Searcy High School Lion Arena. Tickets are twenty dollars and that includes a reception at 5:30 in the hospitality room of the arena and admission to the Lions and Lady Lions basketball games against Batesville High School. Formal recognition of Mr. and Mrs. Shedd will be between the boys’ and girls’ games.
Tickets may be purchased by going to https://gofan.co/event/2530435?schoolld=AR18680 or by purchasing at the door.
Contributed by Jean Ann Bell, Searcy Public Schools Education Foundation Board Member