The Orton Oaks is a group of longstanding IDA members who have been important supporters of the organization for a minimum of 25 years. Through this long-term commitment, they have contributed significantly to carrying out the mission of IDA and are, therefore, recognized through special membership status.
To Our Orton Oaks: “We extend our warmest greetings and heartfelt congratulations to you for achieving the distinguished status of an Orton Oak. As a longstanding advocate of IDA, you have exemplified unwavering dedication, investing your time, energy, and commitment to further our mission over the past 25 years or more. It is an honor to have you as part of the esteemed community of Orton Oaks, who stand proud as guardians of the oldest organization in the United States dedicated to dyslexia study and treatment.” – Carolyn Blackwood & Lorrie Wolf, Orton Oaks Committee Co-Chairs
Thank you to the following Orton Oaks of Georgia*:
Dr. Martha Burdette (Georgia)
Ms. Karen Huppertz (Georgia)
Mrs. Ann Marie Lewis (Georgia-Alabama)
Mrs. Norma Jean McHugh (Georgia)
Mrs. Loretta Philips (Georgia)
Ms. Meredith Puls (Georgia)
Mrs. Betsy Robinson (Georgia)
Orton Oaks receive a 20% discount on registration to the IDA National Conference. The fall conference serves as a special occasion to recognize and celebrate the contributions of Orton Oaks. IDA invites the Oaks to attend the reception, typically held on Friday evening from 5:00-6:30. The ORTON Oaks will receive a Save The Date and formal invitation for this highly-anticipated conference event where the Orton Oaks will have the opportunity to meet will meet and make and renew meaningful relationships.
To provide IDA with updates regarding member status, including a member’s passing, please contact member@DyslexiaIDA.org.
Visit the IDA Membership Portal.
*List updated May 23, 2024
The Mighty Orton Oaks
The Examiner , Vol. 10, No. 1, Spring 2021
Written by Georgette Dickman [with consultation from C. Wilson Anderson and Karen Dakin]
The Orton Society, the oldest organization in the United States dedicated to the study and treatment of dyslexia, was founded in 1949—one year after Samuel Torrey Orton’s death. June Lyday Orton organized a memorial dinner to honor her husband’s lifework. It was attended by many colleagues who had collaborated with Dr. Orton as well as researchers who were committed to continuing his investigation into the nature of language function and the specific language disability sometimes encountered during acquisition of literacy skills.
From these modest beginnings, and under the wing of Mrs. Orton’s twelveyear term of office, annual meetings were established and fourteen issues of the Bulletin of the Orton Society were published. Interest and membership in the society swelled and the foremost literacy organization blossomed.
Forty-five years later, at the national conference in Los Angeles, President Marcia K. Henry—in collaboration with Treasurer John Hinton recognized members who had provided longstanding guidance and support to the organization. Consequently, under the leadership of Karen Dakin and the Historical Archives Committee, a motion was passed to establish a new membership category called “The Orton Oaks”—loyal members who have supported IDA’s mission for twenty-five years.
The Orton Oaks meet annually at the national meetings and enjoy an evening of camaraderie and reminiscence. C. Wilson Anderson, Jr., President of IDA from 1988 to 1992, presided over the receptions welcoming new members, announcing notable events within the membership, and bestowing the coveted Orton Oaks membership pin. In 2019, at the Portland Meeting, Wilson handed his gavel to Karen Dakin who continues the warm traditions established by Wilson.
The (mighty) Orton Oaks, once fledgling acorns of The International Dyslexia Association, are proud to stand watch over the oldest organization in the United States dedicated to the study and treatment of dyslexia!
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