A Brief Biographical Sketch of Jim & Mary Kline



Jim and Mary are both retired educators--Jim as Chair of the Humanities Division and Professor of English at Gainesville College (Georgia) and Mary as Coordinator of Veterans' Affairs at the same school. In 1994 Jim extended his teaching career at Doņa Ana Branch Community College of New Mexico State University where he variously served as Developmental Studies English Coordinator, ESL Teacher, and Title III Multimedia and Multicultural Training Activity Coordinator.

Jim founded Instructional Systems in 1980, and Mary joined him in that enterprise several years later. This small publishing company specialized in Developmental Studies English audio-tutorial instructional materials by direct mail. We offered more than twenty titles which were purchased by hundreds of schools and colleges. In 1997 Instructional Systems turned its attention to ESL and the Internet as a result of Jim's experiences at DABCC where he initiated the first for-credit ESL program highlighted by an "Electronic Classroom" funded by the Title III Grant of which he was a contributing author.

After a brief second retirement (1997-1999), Jim joined the English faculty at the University of Texas at El Paso on a half-time basis. At UTEP he has taught in the English Department, Developmental Studies Department, and is now teaching in the English for Speakers of Other Languages program.

Mary has devoted her post-retirement life to golf and grandchildren, two activities she shares with Jim. (She and Jim have eleven grandchildren, the first ten of whom are girls.) Mary can be found on the Las Cruces Country Club course four or five days a week when not visiting grandchildren. She has served as president of the Women's Golf Association and as a member of the Board of Directors at LCCC.

Please let us have your comments and suggestions if you see a way we can be of better service. Thanks, Jim and Mary Kline