A memorial service will be held on Block Island, R.I., at a time to be announced, for Mary Josephine Shelly, former Bennington College administrator, and retired director of public relations for the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. in New York, who died Friday at New York Hospital at the age of 74.
A resident of 10 Mitchell Place, New York City, she left the college in 1954 to assume her position with the Girl Scouts, from which she retired 10 years ago.
At Bennington Miss Shelly helped organize dance programs and the Bennington American Dance Festival as well as the Bennington School of Arts.
Native of Grand Rapids, Mich., she taught in public schools in Battle Creek, Mich., before becoming an instructor at the University of Oregon, where she earned her bachelor of arts degree. In 1929 she received her master's degree at Teachers College, Columbia University, and taught there, and later at the University of Chicago where she was associate professor of physical education and assistant to the dean of students.
She also served as chairman of the women's physical education department, and it was in this period that she developed her interest in relating the dance to the modern physical education program.
Miss Shelly, known as "Mary Jo," arrived at Bennington in 1933, the year after the college opened, when she was invited to help Martha Hill Davies, teacher of the dance, develop a summer school of modern dance. The Bennington School of the Dance opened the following summer with Miss Shelly as administrative director.
A dance workshop was added in 1935, with a leading modern dancer visiting each summer to lead it and to create a professional production.
She joined the regular staff as educational assistant to the president of the college in 1938, a position she held until 1954. In the 1940s she was also administrative director of the school of arts.
She took a leave of absence in 1942 and headed the Navy's education for women in World War II and commanded the Women in the Air Force during the Korean War before returning to the college.
There are no immediate survivors.
SOURCE: Bennington Banner, Bennington, Vermont, Aug. 9, 1976, Monday, p. 18.
-- Contributor: Shawn Bohannon (47062096)
Colonel Mary Jo Shelly was Director of WAF (Women in Air Force) from 1951-1954 after setting up training for WAVES (Women in the Navy) in 1942.
Contributor: Brenda Allen (47016990)
A resident of 10 Mitchell Place, New York City, she left the college in 1954 to assume her position with the Girl Scouts, from which she retired 10 years ago.
At Bennington Miss Shelly helped organize dance programs and the Bennington American Dance Festival as well as the Bennington School of Arts.
Native of Grand Rapids, Mich., she taught in public schools in Battle Creek, Mich., before becoming an instructor at the University of Oregon, where she earned her bachelor of arts degree. In 1929 she received her master's degree at Teachers College, Columbia University, and taught there, and later at the University of Chicago where she was associate professor of physical education and assistant to the dean of students.
She also served as chairman of the women's physical education department, and it was in this period that she developed her interest in relating the dance to the modern physical education program.
Miss Shelly, known as "Mary Jo," arrived at Bennington in 1933, the year after the college opened, when she was invited to help Martha Hill Davies, teacher of the dance, develop a summer school of modern dance. The Bennington School of the Dance opened the following summer with Miss Shelly as administrative director.
A dance workshop was added in 1935, with a leading modern dancer visiting each summer to lead it and to create a professional production.
She joined the regular staff as educational assistant to the president of the college in 1938, a position she held until 1954. In the 1940s she was also administrative director of the school of arts.
She took a leave of absence in 1942 and headed the Navy's education for women in World War II and commanded the Women in the Air Force during the Korean War before returning to the college.
There are no immediate survivors.
SOURCE: Bennington Banner, Bennington, Vermont, Aug. 9, 1976, Monday, p. 18.
-- Contributor: Shawn Bohannon (47062096)
Colonel Mary Jo Shelly was Director of WAF (Women in Air Force) from 1951-1954 after setting up training for WAVES (Women in the Navy) in 1942.
Contributor: Brenda Allen (47016990)
A memorial service will be held on Block Island, R.I., at a time to be announced, for Mary Josephine Shelly, former Bennington College administrator, and retired director of public relations for the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. in New York, who died Friday at New York Hospital at the age of 74.
A resident of 10 Mitchell Place, New York City, she left the college in 1954 to assume her position with the Girl Scouts, from which she retired 10 years ago.
At Bennington Miss Shelly helped organize dance programs and the Bennington American Dance Festival as well as the Bennington School of Arts.
Native of Grand Rapids, Mich., she taught in public schools in Battle Creek, Mich., before becoming an instructor at the University of Oregon, where she earned her bachelor of arts degree. In 1929 she received her master's degree at Teachers College, Columbia University, and taught there, and later at the University of Chicago where she was associate professor of physical education and assistant to the dean of students.
She also served as chairman of the women's physical education department, and it was in this period that she developed her interest in relating the dance to the modern physical education program.
Miss Shelly, known as "Mary Jo," arrived at Bennington in 1933, the year after the college opened, when she was invited to help Martha Hill Davies, teacher of the dance, develop a summer school of modern dance. The Bennington School of the Dance opened the following summer with Miss Shelly as administrative director.
A dance workshop was added in 1935, with a leading modern dancer visiting each summer to lead it and to create a professional production.
She joined the regular staff as educational assistant to the president of the college in 1938, a position she held until 1954. In the 1940s she was also administrative director of the school of arts.
She took a leave of absence in 1942 and headed the Navy's education for women in World War II and commanded the Women in the Air Force during the Korean War before returning to the college.
There are no immediate survivors.
SOURCE: Bennington Banner, Bennington, Vermont, Aug. 9, 1976, Monday, p. 18.
-- Contributor: Shawn Bohannon (47062096)
Colonel Mary Jo Shelly was Director of WAF (Women in Air Force) from 1951-1954 after setting up training for WAVES (Women in the Navy) in 1942.
Contributor: Brenda Allen (47016990)
A resident of 10 Mitchell Place, New York City, she left the college in 1954 to assume her position with the Girl Scouts, from which she retired 10 years ago.
At Bennington Miss Shelly helped organize dance programs and the Bennington American Dance Festival as well as the Bennington School of Arts.
Native of Grand Rapids, Mich., she taught in public schools in Battle Creek, Mich., before becoming an instructor at the University of Oregon, where she earned her bachelor of arts degree. In 1929 she received her master's degree at Teachers College, Columbia University, and taught there, and later at the University of Chicago where she was associate professor of physical education and assistant to the dean of students.
She also served as chairman of the women's physical education department, and it was in this period that she developed her interest in relating the dance to the modern physical education program.
Miss Shelly, known as "Mary Jo," arrived at Bennington in 1933, the year after the college opened, when she was invited to help Martha Hill Davies, teacher of the dance, develop a summer school of modern dance. The Bennington School of the Dance opened the following summer with Miss Shelly as administrative director.
A dance workshop was added in 1935, with a leading modern dancer visiting each summer to lead it and to create a professional production.
She joined the regular staff as educational assistant to the president of the college in 1938, a position she held until 1954. In the 1940s she was also administrative director of the school of arts.
She took a leave of absence in 1942 and headed the Navy's education for women in World War II and commanded the Women in the Air Force during the Korean War before returning to the college.
There are no immediate survivors.
SOURCE: Bennington Banner, Bennington, Vermont, Aug. 9, 1976, Monday, p. 18.
-- Contributor: Shawn Bohannon (47062096)
Colonel Mary Jo Shelly was Director of WAF (Women in Air Force) from 1951-1954 after setting up training for WAVES (Women in the Navy) in 1942.
Contributor: Brenda Allen (47016990)
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US Navy; WW II.
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