Dorothy Goodwin

Born in Hartford, Connecticut and daughter of Charles Goodwin, writer of the legislation establishing the Metropolitan District Commission, Goodwin attended the Oxford School and Milton Academy in Milton, MA. She graduated magna cum laude from Smith College with a BA in sociology in 1937 and earned her doctorate degree in agricultural economics from the University of Connecticut in 1957.

Goodwin worked in the Bureau of Indian Affairs from 1937 to 1939 and the Bureau of Agricultural Economics from 1939 to 1942. During World War II Goodwin worked in the Department of Economic Warfare in India. From 1947 to 1951, Goodwin served as a government agricultural economist in Japan.

From 1957 to 1969. Goodwin taught economics at the University of Connecticut and served as assistant provost. She retired in 1974, and in 1975, she was elected to the 54th District Connecticut General Assembly. From 1984 to 1990, Goodwin served on the Connecticut State Board of Education as chair of the Education Committee.

Dorothy Goodwin received her greatest recognition as a lawmaker, leader of the compromise that caused reorganization in higher education. After retiring as co-chair of The General Assembly's Education Commission, Goodwin was designated to the Connecticut State Board of Education. She served on the board of trustees at Hartford College and the board of regents at The University of Hartford. She was awarded the Connecticut Humanities Council's Wilbur Cross Award in 1991 for distinguished scholarship and public service teaching.

In 1993 Goodwin donated almost sixteen acres adjacent to her house in Mansfield, Connecticut, to the Joshua's Trust land conservation organization.[1]

Goodwin died in her home in Bloomfield, Connecticut in 2007. A portion of her estate went to the UConn Foundation to establish the Dorothy C. Goodwin Fund for Teacher Preparation to enhance the quality of teachers.[2][3]