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IN MEMORIAM: Priscilla Harrier H’11
Priscilla Harrier H’11 passed away on December 18, 2023. She was Fort Worth Country Day’s very first Lower School Librarian, serving the School from 1978 to 2011. Debby Jennings, FWCD’s Head Librarian from 1975 to 2015, is responsible for bringing Priscilla to the School. When Debby began to concentrate on the Upper School collection and research skills classes, she convinced then Head of School Ted Sanford H’98 to add a position so she could develop a K-12 program. “Priscilla was hired, and we worked together for over 30 years,” Debby said. “She was a master teacher/ librarian whose mission was to connect kids to books. It worked because they knew she would do anything for them. She was a cheerleader for reading.”
One of Priscilla’s trademark phrases – “One … two … three, eyes on me; one … two, eyes on you” — is remembered fondly. She loved helping children appreciate reading and created unique activities to bring literature to life. Priscilla instituted “Country Time at Country Day,” which involved reading accounts of pioneer days, popping popcorn over an open fire in the Lower School fireplace, milking a cow, and churning butter.
Also known as “The Lower School Bookie,” Priscilla thought of FWCD as her “professional utopia” because she was allowed the opportunity to match children and their families with books that inspired them to appreciate the printed word. She was serious about making reading a lifelong pleasure. Modeling excellence and intellectual curiosity for her students, Priscilla taught them to love reading and to seek knowledge through books while also teaching them to use the library as a resource for learning. She formed book clubs and brought in guest authors to share their passion for literature with students.
Upon retirement in 2011, Priscilla was awarded Honorary Alumna status, the FWCD Alumni Association’s highest honor. During the 2018-19 academic year, the Moncrief Circle road was named Priscilla Harrier Way.
“Selfishly, I was so grateful to have my own time with Priscilla in my first few years at FWCD,” said Head of School Eric Lombardi. “She was such a fan of our school, had a wonderfully irreverent side, and was one of the reasons for my quick comfort in being a part of this community. My own parents saved the letter she wrote them after she met me.”
Priscilla embodied what Fort Worth Country Day is all about, and all who knew her are blessed to have had such an amazing person as a colleague and as a teacher of Lower School students. She will be missed.
