Sara Mae Stinchfield Hawk (1885–1977) was the first person in America to receive a Ph.D. for Speech-Pathology and co-founded the

American Speech and Hearing Association American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

(ASHA) in 1925. Over her career as a scholar and speech therapist she wrote several books on the subject.Duchan, Judith Felson. "Sara Mae Stinchfield Hawk 1885–1977." Judy Duchan: History of Speech-Language Pathology. N.p., 2011.

Personal life

Sara Mae Stinchfield Hawk was born in Auburn, Maine in 1885. She was the oldest of three children and had a sister named Nellie and a brother named Paul. Sara Mae Stinchfield Hawk married Charles Lye Hawk when she was fifty years old. They did not have children of their own, but they took in their nieces and nephews when their siblings died.Duchan, Judith Felson. "Our Beloved Aunt Sally." Judy Duchan: A History of Speech-Language Pathology. N.p., 2011. In 1909, Hawk received her diploma from the Curry School of Expression in Boston. In 1914, she received her bachelor's degree from the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the universit ...

. In 1920, she received her master's degree from the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is org ...

. In 1922, Hawk received her Ph.D. in Speech Pathology 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, t ...

. She also studied with

Freud Sigmund Freud ( , ; born Sigismund Schlomo Freud; 6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating and treating pathologies explained as originating in conflicts in ...

Career

After earning her Ph.D., Sara Mae Stinchfield Hawk became a professor at

Mount Holyoke College Mount Holyoke College is a private liberal arts women's college in South Hadley, Massachusetts. It is the oldest member of the historic Seven Sisters colleges, a group of elite historically women's colleges in the Northeastern United States. ...

in Massachusetts. She then moved to California and taught at many schools including the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...

, Scripps,

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...

, and the

University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...

. Most of her career was spent teaching at colleges and universities and she encouraged schools to develop classes in speech and hearing."Biographies of Woman in Science." Eastern Illinois University. N.p., n.d. On top of teaching, Hawk worked as the Director of Speech Clinic at the Orthopedic Hospital of Los Angeles and also at the

John Tracy Clinic John Tracy Center (John Tracy Clinic dba John Tracy Center) is a private, nonprofit education center for infants and preschool children with hearing loss in Los Angeles, California. It was founded by Louise Treadwell Tracy, wife of actor Spencer T ...

in Los Angeles. In 1925, Sara Mae Stinchfield Hawk, along with twenty-four other people, founded ASHA. She served as the secretary of ASHA from 1925–1930. She was the chair of the membership committee in 1932. She was a member of the nomenclature committee from 1939–1940. Hawk was also the ASHA president from 1930–1940. She became an honorary life member in 1950 and received the association's highest honor in 1953.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hawk, Sara Mae Stinchfield 19th-century births 1977 deaths People from Auburn, Maine University of Pittsburgh alumni University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni Mount Holyoke College faculty University of Southern California faculty Scripps College faculty University of California, Berkeley faculty University of California, Los Angeles faculty