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William Paterson University recently held a ribbon-cutting and naming ceremony for the University’s reading clinic in honor of a generous gift from alumna Dorothy Mae Vernon Lydecker Westdyke ’64, a retired teacher and longtime supporter of her alma mater.
Located in the College of Education on the building’s third floor, the Dorothy Mae Vernon Lydecker Westdyke ’64 Reading Clinic, to be known as “Dottie’s Place,” provides comprehensive diagnosis and remediation of reading problems for K-12 students from the surrounding communities. Westdyke’s gift will create an endowed fund that will allow the clinic to meet the increased demand for its essential literacy services.
“William Paterson has been serving students in this capacity since 1944, when we were the New Jersey States Teachers College at Paterson,” said President Richard J. Helldobler of the reading clinic, currently celebrating its 80th anniversary. “This rich history of successful service takes an important step forward today with the inauguration of ‘Dottie’s Place.’”
President Helldober continued, “In a digital world of smartphones and podcasts, video clips and artificial intelligence, reading remains fundamental and more essential than ever to our ability to truly engage with other subjects and make sense of the avalanche of information that comes at all of us every day.”
Westdyke, who grew up in Hawthorne, said she “just knew” that the University was where she would go to college. Following graduation, she embarked on a career in education, teaching middle school in the Passaic School District for 40 years.
“Endowing this reading clinic is very dear to my heart,” said Westdyke. “Knowing that I am helping the children of my neighbors and surrounding communities with reading intervention and enrichment programs satisfies my desire to serve.” She added that her parents, Frank and Mildred Vernon, “instilled in me a love for learning and of reading. This reading clinic is a tribute to them, as well as an honor to me.”
The University’s reading clinic was established in 1944, when William Paterson was still located in Paterson. Today, 80 years later, the clinic continues to serve children in grade kindergarten through 12, primarily from communities in Passaic, Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Morris counties. Tutors are certified teachers and reading specialists, as well as graduate students enrolled in the University’s master of education program in literacy or reading specialist certification program.
Westdyke, who is now retired, is a member of the College of Education’s Advisory Council and the Hobart Manor Revitalization Committee. She has supported the University as a donor since her graduation in 1964. She is a distinguished member of the Heritage Society, which recognizes donors who have given to William Paterson for 20 years or more, and of the Hobart Society, in recognition of an estate plan gift that will provide additional support for the Dorothy Vernon Westdyke ’64 Endowed Scholarship she has established for an undergraduate student enrolled in the College of Education. In addition to her support for her alma mater, Westdyke is dedicated to serving the missions of organizations that are close to her heart: The Order of the Eastern Star of New Jersey, the Order of the Amaranth, the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls, and 22 Shriners Hospitals.
For additional information on the Dorothy Mae Vernon Lydecker Westdyke ’64 Reading Clinic and its services, please contact readingclinic@wpunj.edu.
Caption: At the ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony were (left to right) Margaret Renn, director, Office of Field Experience; Pamela Ferguson, vice president for institutional advancement and president, William Paterson University Foundation; President Richard J. Helldobler; Dorothy Mae Vernon Lydecker Westdyke ’64; Amy Ginsberg, dean, College of Education; Lauren Locker ‘79, vice chair, WP Foundation; Michelle Gonzalez, associate professor, educational leadership and professional studies; Rick Sirota, member, WP Foundation; Cicile Samiz, coordinator, Reading Clinic; and Michael Seeve, chair, William Paterson University Board of Trustees
