TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Studio Classroom (空中英語教室) founder Doris Brougham (彭蒙惠) passed away on Tuesday (Aug. 6) at the age of 98, a day after her birthday. The English-teaching institution announced that Brougham had specified in her will that all her assets be donated.
After dedicating over seven decades to Taiwan, Brougham died at Mackay Memorial Hospital in Tamsui, due to multiple organ failure. Studio Classroom stated that it will jointly organize a funeral committee with a Christian broadcasting group, and will decide on details for a memorial concert in Brougham's honor.
Brougham, born in Seattle in 1926, committed to spreading the gospel in China at the age of 12. She arrived in Shanghai in 1948 and later moved to Taiwan in 1951, choosing to serve as a missionary in Hualien. During her time in Hualien, Brougham noticed that every household had a radio, which inspired her to use media for evangelism and to promote English education.
She noticed a lack of quality English education in Taiwan, and as Taiwan transitioned from an agricultural to an industrial society during the 1960s, the demand for English learning surged. In 1962, Brougham founded Studio Classroom, a program that became a shared memory for generations of students learning English.
Brougham believed English was a tool for understanding diverse cultures, places, and lifestyles. She used English newspapers as teaching materials, introducing everyday vocabulary interactively and engagingly.
In June 2023, former President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) awarded Brougham a Taiwanese passport, making her a naturalized citizen of the country. Brougham stated, "Wow, passport for me. I've always felt like I'm a Taiwanese, anyway, but now I’m a full-fledged citizen, so I can do more to help you."
TVBS News also expressed gratitude for Brougham's valuable advice when setting up its English news department and committed to continuing efforts in this field. Her legacy will live on through the countless lives she touched and the educational contributions she made.
