Frances Rappaport Horwich

Frances Rappaport Horwich was born in Ottawa on July 16, 1907, the daughter of Sam Rappaport, an Austrian immigrant who operated a general store, and Rosa Gratz Rappaport, a Russian immigrant. The youngest of six children, she attended the Ottawa elementary school and graduated from Ottawa High School in 1924. After high school, she attended the University of Chicago where she earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy and then taught first grade for three years. Known as "Miss Frances," she then earned a master's degree from Columbia University in 1933 and a Ph.D. in 1942 from Northwestern University. From 1942 to 1952, she was involved in teaching and education development. Frances Rappaport Horwich is best known for creating and developing the educational television program for pre-school children known as the Ding Dong School, which began in Chicago in 1952 and moved to New York City. The program aired on NBC through the 1950s and early 1960s and was watched by millions of children each morning. It began with "Miss Frances" ringing an old fashion school bell followed by instruction and training. Its success was honored with the George Foster Peabody Award in April 1953. She later became NBC's supervisor of children's programs, served educationally on the Association of Nursery Education and the American Education Fellowship boards, and was a member of the National Education Association. Frances Rappaport Horwich died on July 21, 2001, in Arizona.

Ottawa, Ohio · United States