Elizabeth Stoffregen May (April 25, 1907 – March 27, 2011) was an

economist An economist is a professional and practitioner in the social sciences, social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy. Within this ...

, academic and advocate of education for women.

Family

Born on April 25, 1907, in

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

, May was the eldest of four sisters. Her mother was Caroline Stumpf and her father was Carl Henry Stoffregen, the second generation head of Steinwender, Stoffregen & Co., a coffee-roasting and importing company.

Education and early career

As a student, May had a keen interest in international affairs, and after graduating from

Smith College Smith College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts Women's colleges in the United States, women's college in Northampton, Massachusetts. It was chartered in 1871 by Sophia Smith (Smith College ...

in 1928, she studied at the

London School of Economics , mottoeng = To understand the causes of things , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £240.8 million (2021) , budget = £391.1 millio ...

, earning a

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

in 1931. That same year she began teaching economics at

Goucher College Goucher College ( ') is a private liberal arts college in Towson, Maryland. It was chartered in 1885 by a conference in Baltimore led by namesake John F. Goucher and local leaders of the Methodist Episcopal Church.https://archive.org/details/h ...

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

. In 1939 she joined the federal government, working as a general assistant for economic analysis in the Treasury Department and as a fiscal analyst in the Bureau of the Budget (1941–1947). In 1947 she relocated to Greece with her husband, Geoffrey May, as part of the American Mission for Aid to Greece to help administer the U.S. economic and military assistance to the Greek government. Returning to the U.S. in 1949, May served as professor of economics and academic dean at Wheaton College in

Norton, Massachusetts Norton is a New England town, town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, and contains the villages of Norton Center, Massachusetts, Norton Center and Chartley, Massachusetts, Chartley. The population was ...

(1949–1964). From 1961 to 1969, she served as First Vice-President of the

American Association of University Women The American Association of University Women (AAUW), officially founded in 1881, is a non-profit organization that advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research. The organization has a nationwide network of 170,000 ...

(AAUW) and in 1968 she was elected Third Vice-President of the

International Federation of University Women Graduate Women International (GWI), originally named the International Federation of University Women (IFUW), is an international organisation for women university graduates. IFUW was founded in 1919 following the First World War by both British and ...

(IFUW). Later she served as First Vice-President (1971–1974) and President (1974–1977). May was appointed as director of the Export-Import Bank of the United States by President

Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...

in 1967, the first female director in that office. In 1969 she joined forces with six other women to found the Virginia Gildersleeve International Foundation for University Women (later the Virginia Gildersleeve International Fund).

Retirement

In 1977, May retired to

Harvard, Massachusetts Harvard is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The town is located 25 miles west-northwest of Boston, in eastern Massachusetts. A farming community settled in 1658 and incorporated in 1732, it has been home to several ...

, where she dedicated her time to town activities, including serving as a member of the town's Long Range Planning Advisory Committee. May died in her home in Harvard, Massachusetts, on March 27, 2011.

References

External links

Papers of Elizabeth Stoffregen May, 1907-2011.Schlesinger Library
Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University. * Marion B. Gebbie Archives and Special Collections, Wheaton College. Elizabeth Stoffregen May papers MC.06

{{DEFAULTSORT:May, Elizabeth Stoffregen 1907 births 2011 deaths American economists Alumni of the London School of Economics Smith College alumni Goucher College faculty and staff Wheaton College (Massachusetts) faculty American Association of University Women American bankers Graduate Women International American centenarians Women centenarians