Katherine Amelia Towle
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| Katherine Amelia Towle | |
|---|---|
| April 30, 1898 – March 1, 1986 (aged 87) | |
 Katherine A. Towle, 1st Director of the Women Marines |
|
| Place of birth | Towle, California |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1943-1953 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Commands held | Women's Reserve (1945-1946) Women Marines (1948-1953) |
| Awards | Legion of Merit Navy Commendation Medal |
| Other work | Dean of Students, UC Berkeley |
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.
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[edit] Biography
Towle was born in Towle, California on April 30, 1898. (The town was named after her paternal grandfather and uncles who settled there in the 1850s.) She moved with her family to Berkeley, California in 1908. She graduated with honors from University of California, Berkeley in 1920, then later earned a Master's degree in political science 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. She was the first female to serve as Dean of Students.[1]
[edit] Death and posthumous honors
Towle died on 2 March 1986 at her home in California at the age of 87.
In 2005, a new residence hall at U.C. Berkeley was named after Colonel Towle.[1]
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b Finacom, Steven (12 April 2005). Two new student residence halls dedicated & mdash; They honor former Regent Yoritada Wada and Berkeley's '60s-era Dean of Women Katherine Towle. UC Berkeley News. Retrieved on 2007-11-28.
[edit] References
- Colonel Katherine A. Towle, USMC. Who's Who in Marine Corps History. History Division, United States Marine Corps.
- Katherine Amelia Towle (1967). Administration and Leadership. The Regents of The University of California. Retrieved on 2006-12-25.
[edit] Further reading
- Colonel Mary V Stremlow, USMCR (1994). Free a Marine to Fight: Women Marines in World War II, Marines in World War II Commemorative Series. Washington, D.C.: Marine Corps Historical Center, United States Marine Corps. Retrieved on 2007-11-29.
| Preceded by none |
Director of Women Marines 1948—1953 |
Succeeded by Julia E. Hamblet |
