Mary Kay Morrison, '68, M.S.Ed. '89, An Advocate For Learning With Laughter
By Tony Scott

Mary Kay Morrison is an author and speaker who is an advocate for the benefits of play and humor in education. (Photo: Mary Kay Morrison)

Mary Kay Morrison was a kindergarten teacher in rural Streator, Illinois, right after graduating from NIU in 1968 with her bachelor’s degree in education. 
 

Morrison, ’68, M.S.Ed. ’89, had learned about the power of play studying early childhood education and was excited to engage her students in playful activities as the optimal way to learn.

"My first classroom was a playroom, set up with stations with ways for children to engage in play as the foundation for learning. This practice was based on the research from my studies at NIU," she said.

While she loved connecting with her students and found joy in teaching, she found that the administration was focused on test results and did not understand the theory of learning through play.

“I was fresh out of college, and I had all these ideas about learning through play,” she said. “The administration was, I think, questioning what I was doing in the classroom. They thought these kids should be sitting in seats as the traditional way learning was practiced at the time.”

She continued to learn more about the benefits of play, and of humor, and over the years has become a strong advocate for humor and its benefits to learning and for mental health. She genuinely believes in the power of laughter and encourages play as a daily practice.

Morrison has facilitated keynote presentations and workshop sessions internationally for more than 30 years. Her work includes integrating the theory and neuroscience of humor research into practical applications for both education and business.

She frequently conducts seminars internationally on humor, cognitive research and leadership. Morrison has authored two textbooks – “Using Humor to Maximize Living: Connecting With Humor” ‘and “Using Humor to Maximize Learning: Exploring Links between Positive Emotions and Education” – as well as two books in her “Legacy of Laughter” series: “Legacy of Laughter: The Playbook” and “Legacy of Laughter: A Grandparent's Guide and Playbook.” 

"My book 'Using Humor to Maximize Learning' explores the connections between neuroscience and humor," she said. "One of the key points in this book is that humor nurtures the trusted relationships needed for engaged learning. Excitement, enthusiasm, laughter and high energy are reflective of an engaged learning classroom based on cognitive research."

She founded and is the director of her own business, Humor Quest, which provides workshops, seminars and conferences on the power of humor.

"Efforts to become aware of your own humor practices will give you invaluable information," she said. "This kind of reflection is often accomplished through exploring humor studies and by considering when and how you play, laugh and have fun. It may feel awkward at first, but keeping a humor journal is the best way to record what tickles your funny bone."
 

Through the international Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor (AATH), Morrison founded in 2010 the organization’s Humor Academy, a one-of-a-kind, three-year, college-level program focused on the science, benefits and application of humor. Each level of the Humor Academy lasts one year and those who complete all three years earn the distinction of Certified Humor Professional (CHP).
 

She has regularly supported her alma mater, presenting at NIU on several occasions, most recently the fall of 2024 to the Department of Special and Early Education and its chair, Hope Wilson.

Morrison has fond memories of NIU, including serving as chair of the May Fete Dance Festival, volunteering as a childcare worker at the Newman Center and working in food service at Douglas Hall. 

She said her NIU experience has positively impacted her entire career and led to lifelong friendships.

“My classes in early childhood education and the research on play has inspired my work throughout my career,” she said. “I enjoyed my residency in Douglas Hall and the friendships I made there have continued to this day. We still get together frequently with the girls who were on my floor and the support and ongoing dialogue with them has been inspirational.”

In the 1980s, she was working at Kishwaukee College and wanted to strengthen her education credentials for her job.

“I was employed as a counselor for the teen parent program and the GED program in the Adult Education Department at Kishwaukee, so that motivated me to get my master’s degree,” she said. 

After her tenure at Kishwaukee College, from 1994 to 2004 she served as a consultant for the Boone/Winnebago Regional Office of Education via the Illinois State Board of Education to implement No Child Left Behind and to provide staff development for teachers and administrators in northern Illinois..

Morrison said it took her many years to complete her Master of Science in Education degree, and she was grateful for NIU’s schedule of night classes to help her complete the degree one class at a time while working and raising young kids. 

“I had four little kids at the time, and I was working full-time, so it took me a long time to get that degree, but they were very patient at NIU to let me take it a little at a time,” she said. 

She praised the mentors she has gained during her career, including the regional office superintendent who provided opportunities to attend conferences to learn more about brain research, including the impact of fun and play on learning.
 

“I have had amazing people over the years who have mentored me, supported me, been on the same page I’m on,” she said. “I’ve not been out there by myself.”