Former Metropolitan State University of Denver professor, longtime scholar and advocate for preparing teachers to meet the needs of young children, Oralie McAfee, Ed.D. died September 27, 2025, at age 97.
McAfee taught at MSU Denver from 1975 to 1989. She served on the team that created “Sesame Street” and led teacher trainings for Head Start. During her career, McAfee wrote prolifically about early childhood education, publishing books, professional journal articles and newspaper columns.
Her first book, “The New Nursery School,” holds an important place in the history of early childhood curriculum. Published during a transitional period in the field, when Head Start was still in its infancy, it helped shift preschool programs away from passive play and narrow “readiness” drills toward intentionally designed environments that promoted children’s autonomy, social-emotional development, concept formation, and linguistic and cognitive growth.
Her later writing helped shift the concept of child assessment from a compliance task to a tool for understanding children and guiding instruction, emphasizing authentic, observation-based assessment rooted in children’s strengths and potential.
A longtime member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, McAfee was a popular presenter at its annual conference, influencing generations of teachers with her warmth, clarity and unwavering commitment to children and families.
Born in Jones, Oklahoma, McAfee attended Oklahoma A&M, earning her bachelor’s degree in English in 1950. She held a master’s degree from Colorado State College and earned her doctorate from the University of Colorado.
McAfee’s husband, John A. McAfee, died in 2002. She is survived by her three children, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Nature Conservancy or the Sierra Club. A memorial service is scheduled for 10 a.m. Dec. 13 at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Boulder.
