Elna Jane Hilliard Grahn (November 15, 1913 – August 3, 2006) served in the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) and later the

Women's Army Corps The Women's Army Corps (WAC) was the women's branch of the United States Army. It was created as an auxiliary unit, the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) on 15 May 1942 and converted to an active duty status in the Army of the United States ...

(WAC) during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. Grahn commanded the 2525th WAC unit in

Fort Myer, Virginia Fort Myer is the previous name used for a U.S. Army post next to Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, and across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. Founded during the American Civil War as Fort Cass and Fort Whipple, ...

. Grahn was the first woman to serve on a United States Army General Court Martial.

Early life

Elna Jane Hilliard was born on November 15, 1913, in

Baraboo, Wisconsin Baraboo is a city in the Midwest and the county seat of Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States. The largest city in the county, Baraboo is the principal city of the Baraboo Micropolitan Statistical Area. Its 2020 population was 12,556. It is situ ...

to Charles Hilliard and Anna (Eagan) Hilliard. She went to school in Baraboo and

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th-lar ...

, and in

Winona, Minnesota Winona is a city in and the county seat of Winona County, Minnesota, Winona County, in the U.S. state, state of Minnesota. Located in bluff country on the Mississippi River, its most noticeable physical landmark is Sugar Loaf (Winona, Minnesota ...

Military service in World War II

During World War II, first, Hilliard served in the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), where she headed up a secret Army experiment to determine the way that women might be used in an anti-aircraft battery. After the WAAC was dissolved she commanded the 2525th Women's Army Corps (WAC) unit in Fort Myer, Virginia. Hilliard was the first woman to serve on a United States Army

General Court Martial A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of memb ...

Teaching career

In 1931 she entered the

College of Saint Teresa The College of Saint Teresa was a Catholic women's college in Winona, Minnesota. Previously a women's seminary, it became a college in 1907 and was operated by the Sisters of Saint Francis of Rochester, Minnesota until its closing in 1989. Hi ...

at Winona. She earned a B.S. in math in 1935 from the

University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...

. She began as a math and physical education teacher at Kohler, Wisconsin. in 1936. Hilliard earned M.S. in math and education in 1941 from the University of Wisconsin. In 1941-42 she went on to be a math instructor and women's counselor in

Emmetsburg, Iowa Emmetsburg is a city in Palo Alto County, Iowa, United States. The population was 3,706 at the time of the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Palo Alto County. Emmetsburg is located around the southern bay of Five Island Lake. History The to ...

at a junior college and high school. After interrupting her teaching career for military service during World War Two, in 1946-47 she returned to teaching as a math instructor at

Butler University Butler University is a private university in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1855 and named after founder Ovid Butler, the university has over 60 major academic fields of study in six colleges: the Lacy School of Business, College of Communic ...

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Mari ...

. In 1947 she began teaching at the

University of Idaho The University of Idaho (U of I, or UIdaho) is a public land-grant research university in Moscow, Idaho. It is the state's land-grant and primary research university,, and the lead university in the Idaho Space Grant Consortium. The Universit ...

, serving as math instructor from 1947 to 1949. In 1949, Hilliard attended Stanford University for a degree in Higher Education. From 1954 to 1969, she took a supervisory role for freshman and graduate assistants math courses. Grahn retired a

Professor Emerita ''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...

from the University of Idaho in 1969.

Personal life

Hilliard met Edgar Grahn, a fellow faculty member at University of Idaho, and they married in 1950. Edgar Grahn died in 1995.

Death and legacy

Grahn died on August 3, 2006, and was buried with

full military honors A military funeral is a memorial or burial rite given by a country's military for a soldier, sailor, marine or airman who died in battle, a veteran, or other prominent military figures or heads of state. A military funeral may feature guards ...

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grahn, Elna Jane Hilliard 1913 births 2006 deaths People from Baraboo, Wisconsin College of Saint Teresa alumni University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Letters and Science alumni Stanford University alumni Military personnel from Wisconsin Educators from Iowa Educators from Wisconsin Butler University alumni University of Idaho faculty Women in the United States Army 20th-century American women 20th-century American people American women academics 21st-century American women