Mary Sprague taught English at Mastbaum from 1959 to 1985. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1957, received a Masters degree from Temple in 1961. She enjoyed painting and writing. She encouraged her students in their writing endeavors.
JEMAA presents a monetary award annually to the student who maintains a 3.0 GPA and is continuing their higher education in college.
Kathleen Gerold (Lawrence) (1972)
Mrs. Sprague died in April 1986. In 1985 she choked on the cheese of a pizza pie. It was close to 30 minutes before the rescue squad arrived . She lay in a coma for almost a year before she passed away. I still remember this kind & pretty English teacher coming down to the Cosmetology Lab to have her hair done by us students.
Alexis Alfonso (1980)
One of the best teachers I have had that taught English. Sad to hear how she passed.
June Ward (Vearling) (1967)
I had Mrs. Sprague for English. She was very strict but she knew her stuff and knew how to teach others. She could be very funny at times too. Not too many left like her.
Dorothy Meade-(Miley) (1965)
She was the best English teacher I ever had........tough, but caring, wanted to see you succeed. Sorry to hear she died so tragiically.
Beverly Wright (Volandt) (1965)
Mrs Sprague was by far the best English teacher ever. However, scared us to death the first day of 10th grade. She was not only our English teacher but our Homeroom Teacher so we changed seats from HRm to English. Her first announcement to our English class was "In my class, you will learn English, you will learn to speak correctly, you will behave and you will learn something that will not only help you now but in the years to come." We did behave and we did learn! One of the guys in my homeroom and class use to tell Mrs Sprague he could pick her up and move her very easily. Her reply was "don't even think about trying it." At graduation rehearsal he did and she "patted" him on the back and told him "don't try that next year."
Great lady, great teacher! She may have been petite but she controlled her classrooms!
Frank Maley (1972)
Mrs Sprague was a classy teacher very professional and polite. She reminded me of a movie star like Audrey Hepburn. Sorry to hear of her passing.Bob Squires (1976)
I had Ms Sprague for English in 1975.
She loved her flowers!
What a great woman!
William O. Brower, Jr. (1980)
She was simply the Best at her craft at Mastbaum regardless of subject matter. If you were fortunate to have been a student in her class, you were definitely better off for it in the long run. Eloquent, Classy, Stylish and full of Grace is how she should be remembered. I thank her for her impact towards making me the man I have become today.