Silver Story: The Incredible Impact of Mr. Ed McGraw

Ed McGraw

High School Teacher and 2023 Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fame in Cross County

This month we had the pleasure of an interview with Ed McGraw from East Peoria. As a lifelong learner and high school educator, Ed and his wife Annie, who was also a teacher, touched the lives of countless children and their families. Ed says his greatest accomplishment was being named to the 2023 Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fam and his greatest joy in being married to his wife Annie, a "God-sent marriage".

Ed was raised in Kankakee. His parents were hard-working; his dad was a WWII veteran and a police officer for 30 years. Ed says he had high expectations for his sons. Ed says his mom was a great encouragement for him. His mom worked as a school cook, in factories, and as a waitress. His parents got married in 1939 and drove all over for their honeymoon. His parents loved telling stories of their travel adventures. Ed was the first in his family to go to college; a teacher in his high school was a great encouragement for him to do this. So Ed packed up and went to Eastern Illinois University with a buddy. He joined a fraternity and made it through his classes despite some of his antics. He met the girl of his dreams at Eastern Illinois University, his Annie. They married after college and moved to East Peoria for their first teaching jobs. Ed started teaching social studies at the East Peoria Central Junior High. He was asked to be the cross-county coach and said "The first year we were horrible!" With time and experience, his coaching improved and so did the students' abilities. He moved on to the East Peoria High School a couple of years later and in addition to teaching, also coached track. Ed states he was so proud of two of his runners who made the State Championship in 1993. Ed says that one of his most memorable accomplishments was being named to the Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fame.

From the Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fame:

As a coach at East Peoria High School, McGraw nurtured some of the biggest distance stars to come out of the Peoria area. Most notable was Tim Broe, who McGraw coaxed out of the hallways and onto the track, launching a career that culminated in the 5000-meter finals at the 2004 Olympics. McGraw also coached Jenelle Deatherage, who placed fourth in the 2004 USA Olympic Trials at 1500 meters. McGraw’s East Peoria cross country teams won nine conference titles, seven regional titles, and eight qualified for state. He coached six all-state runners, including Broe and Deatherage, who between them won three individual state championships in cross country and three more in track. Beyond coaching, McGraw worked to build running in the community. He partnered with Hall of Famer Steve Shostrom in the early 1970s to found the Illinois Valley Striders club and to begin the annual Steamboat Classic, which drew international champions to its field and became known as the fastest four-mile road race in the world.
Ed McGraw — Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fame (gpshof.com)

Ed's primary concern when teaching was "How can I relate to the kids and help them to be life-long learners?" He strove to make his classroom one in which students felt comfortable to be themselves. His method was to always be respectful and to be honest with feelings. Ed notes "It's so easy to be a critic", but every student has the right to know they are important because often they do not get that communicated to them in their home. Ed strove to make sure every student felt and thought they were important to him and had an important role to play in life. Ed says he would notice if a teacher was overly critical and encourage them to "remember they are just kids" when correcting behaviors.  His motto is "Always be nice to people because you will meet them both on the way up and down the ladder of life." 

Some of Ed's favorite memories are his wife's parents and family. He said they were refugees during WWII and had immigrated from Bohemia to the United States. He said they were a very loving and accepting family; Ed has so much respect for all the adversity they had encountered and how hard they worked to make a new life in the United States. 

When it comes to reflections on aging, Ed says he never expected to not be able to do things himself. Due to health issues, he is not able to drive and notes the difficulties surrounding the loss of independence. He states he is very grateful to his wife and friends who make the best of things with and for him. 

Thank you Ed McGraw for all the wonderful contributions you have made in the Peoria area and for being a caring advocate for young people!