Marjorie Guthrie

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Marjorie Mazia Guthrie (October 6, 1917 – March 13, 1983) was the wife of folk musician Woody Guthrie, and the mother of folk musician Arlo Guthrie.

She was born Marjorie Greenblatt in Atlantic City, New Jersey to Aliza Waitzman and Izadore Greenblatt.^[1] Following the death of her husband from Huntington's Disease in 1967, she founded the Committee to Combat Huntington's Disease. This eventually became the Huntington's Disease Society of America.^[2] She met Guthrie in 1940 as a Martha Graham Dancer trained in Modern Dance, she was adapting some of Guthrie's Dust Bowl Ballads to a routine. Though she was Guthrie's second wife (of three) they maintained a close relationship throughout his life and provided constant care to Guthrie until his death. She also founded the Marjorie Mazia School of Dance on Sheepshead Bay Road in Brooklyn, New York, which trained young dancers in Modern Dance and Ballet in the 1950's, 60's and 70's.