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Dr. Mildred Hope Fisher Wood
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"Mildred Wood has touched many lives,
professionally and personally."
— Janet Rives, 2011
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Dr. Mildred Hope Fisher Wood is a pioneer who brought special
education for learning disabilities to the forefront in Iowa,
empowering thousands of students each year to lead productive,
respected lives. Born in Alta in 1920, Wood earned four degrees
from the University of Northern Iowa, did postgraduate work
at Syracuse University and the University of Oregon, and earned
a doctorate at Indiana University – all to study learning
disabilities in children and to develop practices to transform
them into learners. She created and taught the first courses
on learning disabilities to future teachers at the University
of Northern Iowa and conducted hundreds of workshops for teachers,
principals, parents, psychologists, and juvenile court officers.
Not only is she an advocate for children, she is a mentor
for parents and has bettered the lives of innumerable families
– often through volunteer work in communities, the church,
and throughout the state. Wood is a recognized leader and
is a charter member of the National Association for Children
with Learning Disabilities and the Iowa Association. She has
also been the president of the Iowa Learning Disabilities
Association. Wood is a published author, a co-author of a
diagnostic test for pre-school children, and the recipient
of many awards. Wood was inducted into the Iowa Women's Hall
of Fame in 2011.
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