Florence Schook had a passion for numismatic education.
That passion will be honored with the American Numismatic Association’s establishment of the Florence Schook School of Numismatics and a three-year fund-raising goal of $4.5 million.
The ANA board took the action during a meeting Oct. 14 in Colorado Springs, Colo.
“Creating the Florence Schook School of Numismatics forever honors the one person who, arguably, has had the greatest individual impact on Young Numismatists in American Numismatic Association history,” stated the proposal presented to the board.
“Florence Schook has been universally praised by virtually every young student who was inspired by her passion for numismatic education.”
Numismatist Dwight Manley wrote about Mrs. Schook in E-Sylum on May 14, 2006:
“Florence Schook opened the doors to an incredible world of history, friendships and personal growth that I will forever be thankful. She was a tireless supporter of young numismatists, the true future of our hobby. Mrs. Schook would stay in our dorms in Colorado Springs during Summer Seminars, eat with us, oversee our poker games, sit and enjoy Dan Ratner’s piano skills, watch Mike Fuljenz and ‘us teenagers’ take on the Colorado College Woman’s Basketball Team, and countless other experiences that she created!
“I remember our great appreciation for her YN program, when Cliff Levy, Keith Love, Dan Ratner, Dan Pressburger, myself, Michael Kohler, and many others took 10 percent of every ‘poker pot’ and donated it to Mrs. Schook’s YN program.
Summer Seminar will be the flagship educational effort for The Florence Schook School, but other programs – including those at remote sites and on the Internet – will be included.
The Florence Schook School will be accounted for as a separate entity, allowing donors to fund specific classes and certification programs with the assurance that the funds will be used for their intended purposes. Funding will be used to expand YN programs, including a new “Introduction to Coin Collecting” class, YN curriculum track and an internship program. The ANA will place qualifying YNs with selected ANA member dealers for summer employment. It also will fund the development of online mentoring and social networking programs for YNs.
Adult programs will be expanded to provide support and resources for new collectors, as well as intermediate and advanced programs to help attract new members, retain existing members and enrich the numismatic experience for all collectors.
Donors will be able to endow classes of their choice for a single year, multiple years or in perpetuity. A separate class, program or instructor endowment program will be developed as a guide to donors.
In raising the targeted $4.5 million, the ANA would:
• Develop an online numismatic university
• Create accreditation or certification programs for collectors and dealers
• Complete the creation of a virtual museum and extensive online curriculum that would be available to those who wish to expand their numismatic knowledge
The goal is to create an ANA Web site that will be people’s first stop for numismatic education, while enhancing the Association’s more traditional classes at its Summer Seminar, conventions and at remote sites.
Mrs. Schook, a former ANA president, was the 1994 recipient of the Farran Zerbe memorial Award for outstanding and distinguished service to the hobby of numismatics. She died April 2, 2006, in Livonia, Mich.
