
Carline Briggs presents a check to Nadia Sikes, FOL President, in memory of her sister, Linnie Lee Briggs Townsend. Linnie was an English teacher at Alamogordo High School and Professor of English at NMSU-A. She had a life-long passion for literacy and reading. Linnie was an ardent supporter of and advocate for libraries, in particular, the Alamogordo Public Library. She was a lifetime member of the Alamogordo Friends of the library. Thank you to the Briggs family for their generosity. Linnie continues to touch our lives.
Linnie Townsend Centennial Collection

The Linnie Townsend Centennial Collection
A collection of 36 books were donated to the Alamogordo Public Library by the Alamogordo Speaker Series group. The collection was selected for New Mexico Centennial reading by educator and community supporter, Linnie Townsend. On October 18, 2013 she was honored for her lifetime dedication to literacy.
Linnie Lee Briggs Townsend October 19, 1934-April 15, 2014
Mrs. Townsend was widely respected as a public school teacher and professor of English at New Mexico State University at Alamogordo. Her love of the English language in both prose and poetry led her to help a multitude of students for more than thirty years. Nothing was so thrilling to Linnie as having students reach out to her many years after a class to thank her for having given them the boost that was needed to make a successful career. She loved the non-traditional student, such as: the one who was just putting a tentative toe in the water, or the mother who had raised her kids and was looking to do something different with her life, or the person who had not done well in school but thought he could do better. Linnie had an amazing gift for allaying fears and instilling confidence. At the same time, she had a knack for making students appreciate the beauty of the language with all its quirkiness and its nuances. Her success was recognized when she became the first female full professor in NMSU's branch college system. Mrs. Townsend's community involvement and professional success was recognized in 2000 when she was named as one of the first of Alamogordo's Women of Merit recipients. She believed that this recognition of her achievements might mean that there was a wider appreciation of libraries, museums, and literacy in our part of the world. The information above was excerpted from Mrs. Townsend's obituary. Click on photo below to read the complete article.
A collection of 36 books were donated to the Alamogordo Public Library by the Alamogordo Speaker Series group. The collection was selected for New Mexico Centennial reading by educator and community supporter, Linnie Townsend. On October 18, 2013 she was honored for her lifetime dedication to literacy.
Linnie Lee Briggs Townsend October 19, 1934-April 15, 2014
Mrs. Townsend was widely respected as a public school teacher and professor of English at New Mexico State University at Alamogordo. Her love of the English language in both prose and poetry led her to help a multitude of students for more than thirty years. Nothing was so thrilling to Linnie as having students reach out to her many years after a class to thank her for having given them the boost that was needed to make a successful career. She loved the non-traditional student, such as: the one who was just putting a tentative toe in the water, or the mother who had raised her kids and was looking to do something different with her life, or the person who had not done well in school but thought he could do better. Linnie had an amazing gift for allaying fears and instilling confidence. At the same time, she had a knack for making students appreciate the beauty of the language with all its quirkiness and its nuances. Her success was recognized when she became the first female full professor in NMSU's branch college system. Mrs. Townsend's community involvement and professional success was recognized in 2000 when she was named as one of the first of Alamogordo's Women of Merit recipients. She believed that this recognition of her achievements might mean that there was a wider appreciation of libraries, museums, and literacy in our part of the world. The information above was excerpted from Mrs. Townsend's obituary. Click on photo below to read the complete article.