Dr. Linda J. Dorn

Dr. Linda J. Dorn of North Little Rock, Arkansas passed away peacefully on September 18 after losing her battle with colon cancer. Incredibly young at heart at 73, Linda J. Dorn was a professor emeritus of reading at UA Little Rock in the College of Education and Health Professions. Recently retired from UA Little Rock, Linda continued to support her doctoral students on a weekly basis and was integrally involved in the future planning for the Center for Literacy, a center that she created and served as the director since 2005. Known nation-wide for her pioneering work in teaching children read and training teachers to be effective teachers of reading, Linda J. Dorn authored 14 books and book chapters, 13 peer-reviewed journal articles, 26 technical reports, received state and federal grants totaling nearly 7 million dollars, delivered over 90 papers at international, national, and state reading conferences, gave 40 keynote addresses at national and state reading/literacy conferences, and served as the President of the Reading Recovery Council of North America. As a nationally recognized leader in literacy, Linda J. Dorn received the Distinguished Service in Literacy Award from the Arkansas State Reading Association in 2016, served on numerous editorial review boards including the prestigious Reading Recovery Journal and the International Journal of Language and Literacy. Teaching at UA Little Rock for 29 years, Linda J. Dorn developed and implemented the Literacy Coach Graduate Certificate program in 2004, the PhD in Reading program in 2008, and the Dyslexia Therapist Graduate Certificate program in 2015. As director of the Center for Literacy, she founded and directed the Partnerships in Comprehensive Literacy and the Comprehensive Intervention models in 2005 involving five universities across 12 states and 200 school districts; founded and directed the Comprehensive Literacy Learning Network in 2010 which networked over 300 active teacher leaders and teachers using video conferencing technologies. Known by her colleagues as an influential force in her field and full of graciousness and generosity, Linda J. Dorn received the University Faculty Excellence Award in Research in 2000, the UALR Graduation and Retention Medallion in 2014, the Gene Campbell Scholarship Research Award in 2018, and the College of Education and Health Professions Dean’s Award in 2019. Moreover, she received the 2010 Arkansas Powerful Woman Award for her commitment and dedication to reading efforts in Arkansas. Dedicated to her PhD and EdS students, Linda J. Dorn served as chair and major advisor for 14 dissertations since 2014 and 48 theses since 2010. At the time of her death, she was also serving as chair on 19 additional dissertations. Linda J. Dorn will be greatly missed by her colleagues and students in Arkansas and nationwide.

Linda is preceded in death by her parents, Raymond Williams and Katherine Hillard Williams. She is survived by her husband of 40 years, Jan W. Dorn; her sons Jeff Swanner (Laura), Tony Swanner (Robin); step son Scott Dorn (Kay); step-daughters Ruth Anne Freeborn (Peter) and Elizabeth Dorn (Steve Wurtz) ,five grandchildren and one great grandchild and her brother, Jack Williams. She is also survived by her beloved “furbabies”, Mattie, Socks and Patty.

Linda will be greatly missed by her family and friends as well as her colleagues and students in Arkansas and nationwide.

A Memorial Service honoring Linda will be held at 2:00 p.m., Friday, September 27th at Griffin Leggett Healy and Roth Funeral Home, 5800 West 12th St., Little Rock, Arkansas. Please share your memories of her with her family at www.griffinleggettresthills.com