Anna Jane Hays retired and returned to her New Mexico home after 29 years at Sesame Street in New York City.  She continued to write children’s books, and advised on educational content for children as Consultant to publishing houses.

After the incomparable popularity and success of Sesame Street’s first season in 1969, Hays was invited to join Children’s Television Workshop to help develop storybooks and activity books to interpret the curriculum of the television show and introduce its characters in print.  She was a founding editor of Sesame Street Magazine and Sesame Street Books created to reinforce CTW’s goal of effective early-childhood learning through engaging entertainment.  With this leadership responsibility in the Products Group, she became Vice President, Editor-in-Chief of Book Publishing.

As Anna Jane Sitton, she had grown up attending Carlsbad public schools and graduated from Carlsbad High School, then Stephens College, and the University of New Mexico where she graduated with Honors in 1960.  Her ambition to become a writer and editor began as editor of The Caveman, the Carlsbad High School newspaper, and continued in college publications.

The road to Children’s Television Workshop began in Hollywood with the job of Editorial Assistant and writer for actress Arlene Dahl’s nationally syndicated newspaper column.  She had met Miss Dahl when she was acting in the movie Journey to the Center of the Earth, on location in the Carlsbad Caverns.  She was asked to be Miss Dahl’s Double in the movie, with responsibility to sit in the star’s canvas chair when she was on camera, and to climb stalactites on camera instead of the actress.

Her next move led to Washington, D.C., and the Peace Corps Headquarters.  Her job as a Public Information Officer was writing feature articles about the valuable work of Peace Corps volunteers in the field. The mission-oriented experience with Peace Corps changed her life and goals: from Washington she continued on to New York and a new worthy mission ~ on Sesame Street.