-Sunday, March 2, 1958
THE MICHIGAN DAILY MAGAZINE
Page Thirteen
A WOMAN PRESIDENT?
University Alumnae Gain Fame in Politics, Pharmacy, Medicine,
the Theatre and the Arts
By ROSE PERLBERG
Daily Activities Editor
THE PHRASE, "it's a man's
world" grows increasingly ob-
solete as more and more members
of the opposite sex receive pub-
lic recognition for their achieve-
ments. To see how some of our
coeds of yesteryear fared once out
of the ivy-covered halls we took
a trip into the basement of Alum-
ni Memorial Hall, where rows and
rows of gleaming steel filing cab-
inets house the life stories of
thousands of University grad-
uates.
Each about whom something
has been written has a carefully
tended and up-to-date folder. We
leafed through them and followed
some Michigan girls out of the
classroom and up to the top of
a variety of professions.
In law and politics, the name
of Martha Wright Griffiths, '40L,
stands out. Mrs. Griffiths, pres-
ently Congresswoman Griffiths
(D-Mich.), has several firsts be-
hind her.
She and her husband were the
first husband-wife team to grad-
uate from the University Law
School. When appointed as re-
corder's court judge by Michigan
'Gov. G. Mennen Williams, Mrs.
Griffiths became the first woman
to hold the post in the court's
history and one of the few wo-
men to hold a high judicial posi-
tion of any sort.
Previously, Lawyer Griffiths
had served two terms in the
State Legislature. The lady lawyer
was selected by the press several
years ago as one of Michigan's
10 best legislators. She was named
by the Detroit Free Press as one
of the 12 women of achievement
in Detroit.
Mr. and Mrs. Griffiths are
partners in the Detroit firm of
Griffiths, Williams (the Gover-
nor) and Griffiths.
EXPLORATION into the culture
of the past is a challenge Eliz-
abeth Sunderland, '31, has taken
up with a devotion and tenacity
that won her France's highest
distinction four years ago. History
of Art Professor Sunderland was
made a Knight of the Legion of
Honor by the President of France
in recognition of ner research
and publication in the field of
French medieval architecture.
The award was a culmination of
the many honors tht Prof. Sund-
erland has won for her studies of
ninth, tenth and eleventh cen-
tury former Benedictine monas-
teries at Charlieu Frande. In 1952,
the city's people showed their ap-
preciation for her interest and
contribution to art by electing her
an honorary citizen of Charlieu
and naming a street for her. The
year before she was made an of-
ficer of the academy of French
Ministry of Education.
In addition to her degree from
the University, Prof. Sunderland
has a doctorate from Harvard.
She received a Guggenheim Fel-
lowship for a year's archaeologi-
cal work in France in 1952.
Turning to the bright lights of
Hollywood and television we
found Ruth Carol Hussey's name
starred, Miss Hussey went from a
year of graduate study (1933-34)
in theatre at the University into
a successful stage and screen ca-
reer.
Plays in which she has taken
leading or subordinate roles in-
clude the Broadway vehicles Dead
End, State of the Union, and
Good-Bye My Fancy. Millions of
movie-goers have seen her in
such selections as The Philadel-
phia Story, Louisa, The Great
Gatsby, Mr. Music, That's My Boy
and Our Wife.
ADYBETH Heath Lowitz, '25Ed,
has made a name for herself
in a rather unique form of edu-
cation. She and her husband, An-
son, pioneered in the writing of
children's books, and eventually
established a syndicated column.
Mrs. Lowitz graduated from
children's books to higher edu-
cation and in 1947 became Dean
of Finch Junior College in New
York,
A spry little-5'4"-89-year-old
lady has earned the title of Mich-
igan's most distinguished alumna.
She's Dr. Alice Hamilton, M.D.,
'93, Hon. A.M., '10, ScD. (Hon.)
'48, whose pioneering work in in-
dustrial medicine has gained her
world-wide respect and recogni-
tion in medical and labor circles.
When Dr. Hamilton started out
around the beginning of the cen-
tury, the American Medical As-
sociation had never held a meet-
ing of industrial medicine in the
United States. In 1948, the lady
doctor was given the $1,000 Lask-
er award for 50 years spent
battling industrial germ hazards.
She worked to eradicate carbon
monoxide poisoning, white lead,
arsenic and cyanide poisoning
prevalent then in so many trades
and taking lives of hundreds of
workers. Dr. Hamilton cam-
paigned vigorously for ventilation,
helped to develop anti-toxic rinses
and safe guards of all kinds.
PROFESSOR Emeritus of Indus-
trial Medicine at Harvard, she
was the first woman member of
the Harvard faculty,
Dr. Hamilton, who taught path-
ology at Northwestern University
before joining the Harvard staff
was also a member of the Health
Committee of the League of Na-
tions for six years. At the age of
80 she was still serving as con-
sultant on industrial labor for the
U. S. Department of Labor.
In 1949, Look Magazine named
her among the 10 leading women
doctors of the United States and
Canad. Seven years later the
American Medical Women's Asso-
ciation voted her New England's
"Woman of the Year" in medi-
cine. The doctor, who wrote her
autobiography: "Exploring the
Dangerous Trades," in 1943, lives
in retirement in Hadlyme, Conn.
Closely related to medicine is
the Pharmacy field and its oldest
living woman student is Julia
Esnanuel, '59Ph. Miss Emanuel
graduated from the University as
the only woman in a class of 40
men. The chemist ran her own
drug store in Fort Wayne for
more than 50 years until her re-
tirement.
We could go on and on. Alum-
nae files have proven that today's
woman isn't content to sit at
home and sew. As a matter of fact
you might take a look at the gal
sitting next to you in some of
your classes. She might very well
be a future president of the Unit-
ed States.
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