Trustee Emerita Enid “Dinny” Morse, a lifelong champion of education and the arts, died on Aug. 7 at the age of 92. A thoughtful and strategic leader in the Teachers College community for decades, she served on the Board of Trustees from 1988 to 2001, including her three years at the helm as co-chair. 

“Dinny’s commitment to helping others shaped not only the future of Teachers College, but also that of educators and students across the country,” said President Thomas Bailey. “Her leadership and passion for the College’s mission enriched our community and strengthened our impact.” 

Morse cared deeply about the work of the College, once remarking that she and her beloved husband Lester shared “the belief that every child in our country deserves a quality education. I’ve always felt that teacher education programs have the broadest impact for children in the public schools.” 

Morse and her husband advanced this belief through numerous efforts at the College. She was instrumental in the creation of the Teachers College Community School (TCCS), a PK-8 school in West Harlem. Established in 2011 in partnership between TC, NYC Schools, Columbia University, and District 9, TCCS engages dozens of TC student teachers annually across subject areas as part of their curriculum and school community. 

Her commitment to educators led her to establish the Enid and Lester Endowed Professorship in Teacher Education and the Enid and Lester Morse Fellowship, which supports doctoral students interested in the mentoring and professional development of new teachers, as well as support the creation of the Center for the Professional Education of Teachers (CPET), which bridges research-based theory and practice to help thousands of educators improve their practice. 

Morse played a hands-on role in much of CPET’s work. She regularly participated in school visits and student presentations. “Dinny wanted to know that the work affected teachers’ and students’ lives,” recalls Ruth Vinz, CPET’s Founding Director and the Enid & Lester Morse Professor in Teacher Education. 

Morse recognized how support for early career teachers could help reduce recidivism throughout the profession. Her interest in the issue led to the Morse Fellowship for New Teachers Fund, which supported one of CPET’s signature initiatives: the New Teacher Network (NTN@TC). Founded in 2014, NTN provides direct mentorship and professional learning for TC alumni in their first three years of classroom teaching. 

A lifelong champion of the arts, Morse also strengthened music education. She empowered musicians to continue their studies at the College through the Enid and Lester Morse Jr. Music Scholarship, and with her family, helped launch TCCS’s robust music program, a fundamental experience for students from the day they enter as preschoolers to their final grades at the school. The thoughtful support and engagement of Morse and her family has played an integral role in the school’s string instrument programming. 

Morse Music Scholars have gone on to lead and impact a variety of music education programs, including efforts for low-income students in rural China and public schools across the U.S. “Music has the ability to cross boundaries, bring people together and touch hearts,” said Morse Music Scholar SiYi Fang (Ed.D. ’24) in 2019. “Thanks to my training here, I feel I can walk away knowing how to solve the next problem.” 

In Morse’s honor, her children — including TC Board Chair Leslie Morse Nelson — also established the Enid W. Morse Fellowship for Teaching in the Arts to assist students interested in teaching music, visual arts or dance. 

Raised in New York and Connecticut, Morse earned her bachelor of arts degree from Manhattanville College. With Lester, her husband for more than 70 years, Morse raised three children and dedicated her life to numerous philanthropic efforts related to education and the arts, including the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, the New York Public Library and the Usdan Center for the Performing Arts. 

She is survived by her husband Lester; their three children, Andrew, Douglas and Leslie; seven grandchildren; and four great grandchildren. 

A memorial service is being held privately.