To: All Faculty and Staff Members - From: Margarette Eby, Dean, College of Humanities and Fine Arts - Date: January 19, 1979
Dr. Elaine McDavitt Stageberg, emeritus professor of Speech at the University of Northern Iowa, died on January 19, 1979. She was born in Marseilles, Illinois, in 1910. Dr. McDavitt Stageberg received her B.S. and M.A. degrees from Northwestern University's School of Speech and her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. She took postgraduate work at Stanford University, Shakespeare Institute, University of Birmingham, England, and at the Sorbonne, Paris. In addition to her 29 years of service at UNI, she had taught in the public schools of Indiana, at the Liggett School of Detroit, and the University of Northern Michigan. Her professional honors include: Trueblood Fellowship, University of Michigan, 1943-44; Professional Development Leave for theatre history research in New York and England in 1967; and Who's Who in American Women. In 1974 she received the Iowa Communication Award for outstanding service to Speech Education in Iowa.
Dr. McDavitt held numerous offices associated with her profession among which were: Executive Secretary, Iowa Speech Association, 1961-67; Advisory Board, Central States Speech Association, 1961-67; Committee of 50, Speech Communication Association, 1963-73; News Editor, E.T.J., 1952-55. In addition to offices associated with her professional work, she served as President of the Cedar Falls Branch of AAUW, 1960-62. Dr. McDavitt Stageberg retired from the University of Northern Iowa in May 1976 after an illustrious teaching career. Services for Dr. McDavitt Stageberg are pending. A memorial service will be held at 4:30 P.M. on Thursday, January 25 in the Strayer Wood Theatre.
1/22/79 Memorial Services Set for Long-Time UNI Prof, Elaine McDavitt Stageberg (Cedar Falls)
Memorial services for Dr. Elaine McDavitt Stageberg, 1710 Tremont St., an emeritus professor of speech at the University of Northern Iowa, will be held at 4:30 p.m. Thursday (Jan. 25) at the Strayer-Wood Theatre at UNI. Dr. McDavitt Stageberg, 68, died Friday (Jan. 19) at Sartori Hospital in Cedar Falls, following an extended illness. She was born March 19, 1910, in Marseilles, Illinois, the daughter of the Rev. Arthur A. McDavitt, a universalist minister, and Naomi McDavitt. She married Norman Stageberg in 1975. She is survived by her husband, of 1710 Tremont St., and her mother and a brother, Murray, both of Muncie, Indiana. She received her high school education in Muncie, Indiana, and earned bachelor's and master's degrees from Northwestern University in 1930 and 1935, respectively. She received a Ph.D. degree in speech in 1946 from the University of Michigan. She took post-graduate work at the Sorbonne in Paris, Stanford University and the Shakespeare Institute in Stratford-on-Avon and the University of Birmingham, both in England.
Before joining the UNI faculty in 1947, she taught in the Muncie public schools, the Lake School for Girls in Milwaukee, the Ligget School for Girls in Detroit, and at Northern Michigan University. She retired in May 1976, after 29 years of service to UNI, where she spent a major portion of her teaching career specializing in oral interpretation and creative dramatics. Her professional honors include a Trueblood Fellowship to the University of Michigan in 1943-44, a UNI professional development leave for theatre history research in New York and England in 1967, and inclusion in Who's Who of American Women. In 1974, she received the Iowa Communication Association Honorary Service Award for outstanding service to speech education in Iowa.
Dr. McDavitt Stageberg was active in the American Association of University Women, serving as president of the Cedar Falls branch; the World Federalists; and the Democratic party. She was a lifetime member of the Speech Communication Association and a member of Theta Alpha Phi, a national honorary dramatics fraternity. She served as executive secretary of the Iowa Speech Association from 1961-67; on the advisory board of the Central States Speech Association from 1961-67; and on the Committee of 50, Speech Communication Association from 1963-73. The family requests that those persons wishing to contribute to a memorial fund address a check to the UNI Foundation for the Strayer-Wood Theatre in her memory. Memorials should be sent to the UNI Alumni Affairs & Development Office, 137 A & I Building, UNI, Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613.