Elizabeth E. Halpin

Elizabeth Halpin, of Forest Park, Missouri, formerly of Murphysboro, passed away on Saturday, May 1, 2010, at the St. Agnes Nursing Home in Kirkwood, Missouri. Miss Halpin was the former Registrar at the St. Louis Community College of Forest Park. She graduated from Webster College (now Webster University) in 1936 with a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in French and Latin. In 1967, she was awarded a Master of Educational Counseling degree from St. Louis, University. In 1940, Elizabeth became secreatary to Webster's fourth president, George Donovan. In 1942, Elizabeth joined the Pacific War effort and served as an Industrial Relations Assistant at the Curtis Wright Airplane Manufacturing Company specializing in wage and hour analysis with the United Auto Workers Union and related labor relations. When the Curtis Wright plant closed, she became the Director of the Volunteer Placement Bureau for the Social Planning Council of teh Community Chest. Elizabeth returned to Webster in 1949 as the first Director of Admissions and in 1962 became the first Director of Student Financial Aid until 1965. She then became Registrar of St. Louis Community College at Forest park from 1966 unitl June 1984. Active in professional and community organizations, Elizabeth served as president of the Missouri State Federation of Business and Professional Women from 1952-1954 and under her leadership the National Federation of Business and Professional Women selected St. Louis for its national convention in 1954. She was a member of the Metropolitan Business and Professional Women until her death. Elizabeth was a past president of the Missouri Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers as well as past president of the Webster University Alumni Association, members of which fondly referred to Elizabeth as "the matriarch" and "the historical oracle". Her community activities included promoting the Missouri State Minimum Wage Law and serving as chairperson of the Speakers Committee of the Association of Social workers. After World War II, she was appointed by the State of Missouri in a White House conference on Women in Civil Defense. When the U.S. Department of State began a program of bringing professional men and women to the U.S. for orientation, Elizabeth served as liaison from the State Department in placing them with U.S. professional contacts in relation fields in the St. Louis area. Elizabeth received many honors for outstanding services to the Webster University Alumni Assoication and other organizations. One of her most valued achievements was the Mary Elizabeth Newell Award which is given to an individual who has demonstrated a high degree of loyalty to Webster University. Additionally, she has been honored as the Business and Professional Woman of the Year by the Business and Professional Women of Greater St. Louis. She was a member of the Ste. Genevieve du Bois parish on Woodlawn in Warson Wood. Survivors include two sisters, Anna M. Halpin and Margaret Halpin Wren of lOklahoma City, OK; as well as nephews and nieces Edward (Pamela) Eversmann of Clarkson Valley, MO, Joseph (Beverly) Eversmann, Minot, ND, Robert (Janis) Eversmann of Hillsboro, OR, Thomas Eversmann, New York, NY, Sally Wren Shipley and Jennifer (James) Weinland of Oklahoma City, OK, and Christopher Wren of Houston, TX and their children. There will be a memorial service Saturday, May 8, 2010, at 10 a.m. at Ste. Genevieve du Bois. Then there will be a gravesite service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 8 at St. Andrew Cemetery in Murphysboro with Father Gary Gummersheimer officiating. Pettett Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements. Memorials may be sent to Webster University (on behalf of the Elizabeth E. Halpin Scholarship Fund), 470 E. Lockwood Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63119: the Missouri Federation of BPW Foundation; and the Kirkwood-Webster Groves (Missouri) Branch AAUW Scholarship Foundation.

Elizabeth E. Halpin

December 12, 1914 - May 1, 2010