Lois Loehr Brown ’41 couldn’t have articulated exactly what she felt the spring she graduated from Mary Washington. But she would carry the buoyant feeling with her when she interviewed for – and landed – her first teaching job in Middlesex County, Virginia, that autumn. Brown possessed it when, after moving to Detroit with her young family after World War II, she was required to take a speech class so the locals could understand her. And she carried it with her on solo travels all over the world – including East Africa, Israel, China, and the Soviet Union. “I didn’t realize at the time, but when I came out of Mary Washington, I felt confidence,” said Brown, 95, a longtime class agent who lives in Annandale, Virginia. The great-granddaughter of Prussian immigrants and the granddaughter of a Confederate soldier, Brown grew up in the shadow of Robert E. Lee’s bronze likeness in Richmond. She headed to Fredericksburg in the fall of 1937 to pursue a degree in physical … [Read more...]
Princess Moss: Teachers’ Advocate
In 1979, Princess Moss ’83 was just another bright-eyed freshman at then-Mary Washington College who suddenly felt like a small fish in a very big pond. Moss was following in the footsteps of sister Hazel Moss Putty ’73, one of the first African-Americans to attend the college. More than 30 years later, Moss made some history of her own when she was elected secretary-treasurer of the National Education Association (NEA). Although money was tight, Moss’ parents always had big plans for their daughters. Their father drove school buses and taxis in Fredericksburg for a living, often driving Mary Washington students to and from campus. “He knew that if he ever had girls, he hoped they would go there,” Moss said. His dreams - and hers - came true when she enrolled in the college to study music. Moss credits Mary Washington with giving her strong leadership and communication skills. “The goals and ideals that Mary Washington tries to instill in its students tremendously helped me in … [Read more...]