| Honored by: | Louise B. Dengler |
| Brick location: | F:23 map |
Mary Ellen grew up in Ames and attended Iowa State.
The 1938 Bomb (p 75) says: "Mary Ellen Lynch, Ames, Technical Journalism, Delta Delta Delta; Mortar Board; Phi Upsilon Omicron; Theta Sigma Phi keeper of the archives; Memorial Union Student Board; Iowa Homemaker; Green Gander; Iowa State Student; Home Economics Club treasurer; Iowa State Players historian; YWCA vice president; Life Member Memorial Union. and p.22 clarifies "The highest honor that can come to any Iowa State Woman is membership in Mortar Board service honorary for outstanding senior women."
She also was elected to Phi Kappa Phi. After graduating from Iowa State in 1938 in Home Ec Journalism, she married Holmes M Brown, son of Dr. Frank E Brown, professor of Chemistry at Iowa State 1917-1957. She is a freelance journalist. Her family includes twin sons, Holmes and Hamilton, and son James. She has a grandson and granddaughter and twin granddaughters.
She studied harpsichord with Igor Kipnis 1961-1991. She tutored and taught remedial reading and English as a second language 1971-1986 at the Bronx Community College. But perhaps her real occupation was as hostess in the family home for both family and her husband's many business contacts.
These barebones statistics don't really do Mary Ellen justice. I'll always remember how kind she was to the little sister of her boyfriend, who rode a bike downtown to meet this special girl. She welcomed me with a plate of fudge! I never had a sister of my own but my brothers provided me with wonderful sisters-in-law!
12/19/94