About Hickey
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History
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Loreta Hickey was born in Prosper, Texas on July 6th to Ben and Virginia Smith. She grew up in Prosper and graduated from Prosper High School in a class of nine seniors. Loreta attended North Texas State University and graduated in 1948 with honors. Her major was Home Economics. She later continued her education at Texas Woman's University, receiving a Master's Degree in Education & Supervision in 1975. She pursued postgraduate courses at East Texas State University in Vocational Education.
Loreta's first teaching position was in Denison, Texas as a Home Economics teacher. A few years later she married Jim Hickey. Together they had two sons. Tom was born in 1959 and John in 1963. The couple moved to Dallas and Loreta accepted a teaching position in Plano in 1952.
Loreta was hired to teach Home Economics at the Plano School to high school students in grades 9-12. E.A. Sigler was the Superintendent and Mr. Williams was the principal. Everyone was housed in what we now call the Cox Building. At mid-term, the Elementary program was moved into a new building - Mendenhall Elementary.
Plano began to grow and Loreta served on the committee to plan a new high school. Williams High School was completed in 1961. Of course, Plano continued to grow and Loreta was once again on a committee to plan for a new senior high school. Plano Senior High School opened in August 1976. She taught at PSHS for two years and then moved on to work at the Central Office with Superintendent H. Wayne Hendricks.
Loreta became the Vocational Supervisor for Vocational, Homemaking, and Business teachers. She later was named Vocational Director and was over the program we now call Career Education. During her last year with PISD she filled in as Assistant Superintendent when Bill Holifield retired. In July 1992, Loreta retired after 40 years of service to PISD.
Loreta Hickey worked for the Plano Independent School District forty years. She served the district as a teacher, Vocational Education Supervisor, Director of Career Education and Interim Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum. Although retired, she remains involved in education and in our community as an active member of the Texas Retired Teachers' Association.