Early Life and Education
Virginia Allen Stehney was a pioneering educator, environmental advocate, and dedicated civic leader whose work left a lasting impact on Downers Grove and beyond.
Born in Chicago and raised in Berwyn, Illinois, Stehney graduated as valedictorian of the Morton High School Class of 1938, where she was also named “Miss Morton.” She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in child development from the University of Chicago in 1942. The following year she married Andrew Stehney, a fellow student. During World War II, the couple lived in Washington State and Tennessee while he worked on the Manhattan Project. During this period she worked as a secretary for the project and taught high school home economics.
Early Career
After the war, Stehney returned to Chicago and worked for economist and future U.S. Senator Paul H. Douglas at the University of Chicago, managing his Chicago office for a year after his election to the U.S. Senate in 1948. In 1951, the Stehney family moved to Downers Grove, where she would become deeply involved in education and community life.
Teaching and Educational Innovation
Stehney taught kindergarten at the Avery Coonley School and later became a teacher in Downers Grove public schools. Committed to meeting the diverse learning styles of her students, she pioneered individualized instruction in multi-age classrooms serving grades 1–3 and 4–6. She earned a Master of Arts in Education from Northwestern University in 1968.
Environmental Education Leadership
Her growing interest in environmental education led her to pursue further graduate study at Governors State University, where she earned a second master’s degree in environmental science in 1974. Stehney helped develop environmental curricula for elementary schools and authored the two-volume Environmental Curiosity Sampler (1974, 1976), published by the Illinois Institute for Environmental Quality. The work became an important resource distributed to schools, libraries, and organizations across Illinois.
Stehney served on environmental education task forces for the Illinois State Board of Education and the National Education Association, and she was elected to two terms on the board of the North American Association for Environmental Education. Her leadership helped advance environmental learning in schools during the formative years of the modern environmental movement.
Civic Leadership in Downers Grove
In Downers Grove, Stehney was equally active in civic and cultural life. She was a founding member of the Downers Grove Area School Board Caucus and served on the boards of the Downers Grove Public Library and the village’s Police and Fire Commission. She chaired the village’s Environmental Quality Control Commission and led the local commission for the nation’s Bicentennial celebration in 1976. She was also among the early planners of the community’s Heritage Festival.
Contributions to Local History
A devoted member of the Downers Grove Historical Society, Stehney served as secretary, historian, and eventually president. She created historical exhibits and presentations on topics ranging from early Downers Grove settlers to the World’s Columbian Exposition and the work of Downers Grove–born Egyptologist James Henry Breasted. She also contributed to the society’s oral history project and authored or edited several local history publications, including illustrated books on the history of firefighting in the village.
Volunteer Service and Recognition
Beyond Downers Grove, Stehney volunteered with the Morton Arboretum and helped lead the Downers Grove–Lisle chapter of Metropolitan Family Services DuPage.
Her contributions were widely recognized. She received awards and commendations from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Soil Conservation Society of America, the National Association for Environmental Education, the Downers Grove Park District, Metropolitan Family Services DuPage, and the Congress of Illinois Historical Societies and Museums.
Legacy
Through her work as an educator, environmental leader, historian, and volunteer, Virginia Stehney helped shape both the civic life and historical understanding of Downers Grove. Virginia Allen Stehney passed away in 2008, leaving a legacy of environmental leadership, educational innovation, and devoted community service.
