In 1913, seven years before American women had the right to vote, Harriet Wiseman Elliott arrived in Greensboro to teach political science at the State Normal and Industrial School (now, University of North Carolina at Greensboro– UNCG).  By 1935, Elliott was appointed to the position of Dean of Women for the all-female institution. During the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Ms. Elliott became politically and civically active at the national level, serving as a presidential appointee. In the early years of World War II, she was the Consumer Commissioner on the Advisory Commission to the Council of National Defense (1940- 1941). Helping bring WWII to a close, from 1942-1946, she was Chairman of the Woman’s Division of the War Finance Committee. And, in 1945, she also served as Deputy Director of the office of Price Administration and was US delegate to the UN Conference on Education, Science, and Cultural Organization– UNESCO (reference). She died shortly thereafter on August 6, 1947 at the age of sixty three. However, her legacy lives on.

In the above photo, you see the student union, Elliott University Center, on the campus of UNCG. For the institution’s 50th anniversary, the Cone family donated money for a student union. The facility was named for Ms. Elliott because of her vision for “a place under one roof where education gained in the classroom could be extended and coordinated with the ‘extracurricular’ ” (reference). In addition to this building, the Harriet Elliott Lectures in Social Sciences are held annually in her memory. To learn more and stay updated on the lecture series, visit the blog for last year’s event (here).

If we at Greensboro Daily Photo had one wish, it would be for Harriet Elliott’s name and face to be featured more prominently at the Elliott University Center. It is easier to enjoy the facility and not have any idea for whom it was named than it is to go there and see references to this great woman who brought her institution national recognition. Finally, we remind you that today’s post is part of the ABC Wednesday international meme and E is for Elliott, Harriet Elliott.

See our previous entries here. Stop back next week to see who we’ve picked for “F.”