TC Mourns Montgomery
Maybelle Stanfield Montgomery, Teachers College Class of 1921, died in September at her home in Olmos Park, Texas. She was 110 years old and had been TC's oldest living alumna.
Montgomery, who was the subject of a feature story in the Winter 2006 issue of TC Today, was born on December 4, 1895, on a farm outside San Antonio, Texas. With the financial support of family friend and oilman William Grey, she and her sister Anne were able to attend the University of Texas at Austin and each earn a master's degree in education from TC.
When Montgomery attended TC, famed philosopher John Dewey was still teaching. Another of her professors was Brander Matthews, one of the most influential literary scholars of his era. Nobel Prize winner Marie Curie spoke at her graduation.
After graduation, she taught in Texas school districts for seven years before starting a family drugstore south of San Antonio with her husband, Dee. The store was a major social center during World War II. She retired in 1945.
Bill Montgomery, her son, said one of the secrets to her long life was serenity. "She just remained calm, so she could always think clearly."
Published Wednesday, Apr. 25, 2007
