Elizabeth "Betty" Hahn Bernbaum (March 20, 1918 – June 20, 2003) was an American ambassador's wife and writer. She was called "a ball of diplomatic fire" for her embassy activities. She was decorated by the President of Ecuador for her amateur radio work, and wrote a memoir, ''Adventures in Latin America: The Life of One Foreign Service Wife'' (1992).

Early life

Elizabeth R. Hahn was born in Washington, D.C., the daughter of Edwin Hahn and Florentine S. Israel Hahn. Her father was president of

Hahn's Shoes Hahn's Shoes was a Washington, DC area shoe store. It was founded in 1876 by William Hahn, who had arrived in the United States from Germany in 1868 at age 15. By 1890, there were three locations: 816 7th St, NW; 1922 Pennsylvania Ave, NW; and 23 ...

. Her cousin Gilbert J. Hahn Jr. was appointed chair of the Washington City Council from 1969 to 1972. She graduated from Wheaton College in 1940.

Career

Bernbaum, called "a ball of diplomatic fire", accompanied her husband when he served as United States ambassador in Ecuador and Venezuela, and at other appointments in Nicaragua and Washington, D.C. In Ecuador she organized embassy wives and worked with the

General Federation of Women's Clubs The General Federation of Women's Clubs (GFWC), founded in 1890 during the Progressive Movement, is a federation of over 3,000 women's clubs in the United States which promote civic improvements through volunteer service. Many of its activities ...

in the US, to provide supplies, books, and furniture to Ecuadorean schools. She also supported orphanages and helped stock libraries with Spanish-language books. Bernbaum was an amateur radio operator. In 1949, her emergency broadcasts helped direct timely assistance to survivors of the Ambato earthquake, and she received the Order of Merit from

Galo Plaza Galo Lincoln Plaza Lasso de la Vega (17 February 1906 – 28 January 1987) was an Ecuadorian statesman who served as President of Ecuador from 1948 to 1952 and Secretary General of the Organization of American States from 1968 to 1975. He is the ...

, the President of Ecuador, for her lifesaving radio work. "For six days and nights, she manned an amateur radio station and summoned doctors, nurses, and medical supplies when the commercial stations had been disrupted," explained one account. In 1965 she became the first American to hold a Venezuelan radio license. Her radio skills were again helpful in emergency communications after the 1967 earthquake in Caracas. She won a prize in the 1969 McFall Manuscript Contest for an essay about her radio station. She was a member of the Committee on Education in the

American Foreign Service Association American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), established in 1924, is the professional association of the United States Foreign Service. With over 15,000 dues-paying members, American Foreign Service Association represents 28,000 active and retir ...

. She wrote ''Adventures in Latin America: The Life of One Foreign Service Wife'' (1992) about her experiences as a diplomat's wife.

Personal life

Hahn married foreign service officer Maurice M. Bernbaum in 1942. They had two children, Louise and Edwin. She died in 2003, at the age of 85, in

Collington, Maryland Collington is a now defunct settlement in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, dating from colonial times. Collington has been subsumed by the city of Bowie. Geography Collington is located at 38°58'6" North, 76°45'35" West (38.9684 ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bernbaum, Betty Hahn 1918 births 2003 deaths Wheaton College (Massachusetts) alumni American philanthropists American women writers