Edith Marjorie Harrod Award

Edith served as President of the Illinois Speech Association in 1966, and was a member of the Illinois Board of Education for five years. She taught Drama and English at Eureka High School from 1943 to 1951. She taught Drama at Pekin Community High School from 1951 to 1971. She was an Associate Professor of Creative Arts at Illinois Central College where she taught Speech and Drama until her death in 1976. At Illinois Central College she created an interdisciplinary course in the humanities including art, drama, music and philosophy. She received her B.A. degree from Eureka College in 1943, and her M.A. degree from the University of Iowa in 1949. She completed additional graduate study at Northwestern University in Evanston and the University of Minnesota. In 1961, she was awarded the John Hay Fellowship in Humanities. She attended symposia on theater at Stratford, Ontario, Canada, in 1965, 1966 and 1968, studying with Tyrone Guthrie, who helped establish the Shakespeare Festival there, and who founded the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. She was director of Broadway Theater League and Cornstock Theater. She directed plays for Cornstock Theater and at Illinois Central College directed Readers' Theater and Plays for Living. The Harrod award is in recognition of distinguished service to the Association and outstanding achievement in the profession.

2026 Edith Marjorie Harrod Award Winner

Marilee Applebee - Seneca High School

Marilee Applebee is an educator, speech coach, mentor, and association leader whose career reflects more than three decades of dedication to students and the communication profession. During 34 years at Seneca High School, she taught English and broadcast communication while building a speech program known for kindness, inclusion, confidence, and community. Her students learned far more than competitive performance: they found their voices, formed friendships, and gained skills that continued shaping their lives long after graduation. Marilee’s classroom work likewise centered meaningful, humanistic education. She championed representation, created a specialized course on the Holocaust, and fostered an environment in which students felt seen and supported. Colleagues and families consistently describe her as caring, trustworthy, practical, and deeply committed to helping young people find their place. Within ICTA, Marilee has become an invaluable planner and welcoming presence. She contributes thoughtful ideas, collaborates generously, co-presents professional sessions, and helps members from schools of every size and region feel at home. Following her retirement from Seneca at the conclusion of the 2025–26 school year, she continues coaching and is preparing to lead ICTA’s 2027 convention. Her distinguished teaching, mentorship, organizational service, and lasting impact embody the spirit of the Edith Marjorie Harrod Award.