Katherine Amelia Towle

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Katherine Amelia Towle
April 30, 1898 - March 1, 1986
Katherine A. Towle, 1st Director of the Women Marines
Allegiance	USMC
Years of service	1943-1953
Rank	Colonel
Commands	Women's Reserve (1945-1946) Women Marines (1948-1953)
Awards	Legion of Merit Navy Commendation Medal

United States Marine Corps Portal

Colonel Katherine Amelia Towle (April 30, 1898 - March 1, 1986) was the second Director of the United States Marine Corps Women's Reserve (USMCWR) and the first Director of Women Marines ; and an educator.

Towle was born in California in 1898. She graduated from University of California, Berkeley in 1920, then later earned a political science master's degree in 1935.

[edit] Marine Corps career

She came to the Marine Corps from UC Berkeley in 1943. Her first assignment with the new women’s component, she was named Women's Reserve (WR) representative for Recruit Depot, with the rank of Captain, USMCWR, even before public announcement of the establishment of the Women’s Reserve on 13 February 1943.

Colonel Towle was named Director when her predecessor, Colonel Ruth Cheney Streeter, retired on 7 December 1945. She served in that capacity until June 1946. In August of the same year, when the Women’s Reserve was deactivated, Colonel Towle returned to the University of California as Assistant Dean of Women.

Again, after the Congress had authorized the acceptance of women into the Regular Armed Services, the Marine Corps called upon Colonel Towle to direct this organization. On 4 November 1948, she returned to the Corps to become the first Director of Women Marines after they were constituted a Regular Component. She served as Director until her retirement on 30 April 1953.

Her military awards include the Legion of Merit and the Navy Commendation Medal.

[edit] University Dean

After retiring from the Marine Corps, Colonel Towle was associated with the University of California at Berkeley in various capacities: as Dean of Women from 1953 to 1960; as Assistant Dean of Students from 1960 to 1965; as Dean of Students, 1965 to 1966; and later as Dean of Students, Emeritus.

Towle died on 2 March 1986 at her home in California at the age of 87.