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{{Short description|American military administrator (1902–1976)}}
{{redirect|Mary Shelly|the English novelist|Mary Shelley}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox military person
{{Infobox military person
| name = Mary Josephine Shelly
| name = Mary Josephine Shelly
| image = Colonel Mary J. Shelly, USAF. 1952 (330-PS-2727).jpg
| image = Colonel Mary J. Shelly, USAF. 1952 (330-PS-2727).jpg
| caption = Mary Jo Shelly in 1952
| caption = Shelly in 1952
| birth_date = {{Birth date| 1902|02|17}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1902|02|17}}
| birth_place = [[Grand Rapids, Michigan]], U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1976|08|05|1902|02|17}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1976|08|05|1902|02|17}}
| birth_place = [[Grand Rapids, Michigan]]
| death_place = New York City, U.S.
| death_place = [[New York City]]
| nickname = Mary Jo
| nickname = Mary Jo
| branch = {{Plainlist|
| branch = {{Plainlist|
Line 12: Line 15:
* [[United States Air Force]]}}
* [[United States Air Force]]}}
| serviceyears = {{Plainlist|
| serviceyears = {{Plainlist|
* 1941–1945
* 1941-1945
* 1951-1954}}
* 1951–1954}}
| rank = [[Colonel]]
| rank = {{Plainlist|
* [[Colonel]] ({{abbr|USAF|United States Air Force}})
* Lieutenant ([[WAVES]])
}}
| battles = {{Plainlist|
| battles = {{Plainlist|
* [[World War II]]
* [[World War II]]
Line 25: Line 31:
}}
}}


'''Mary Josephine "Mary Jo" Shelly''' (February 17, 1902-August 5, 1976) was a [[Bennington College]] administrator who took charge of the Navy's education for women in [[World War II]] and commanded [[Women in the Air Force]] in the [[Korean War]].
'''Mary Josephine Shelly''' (February 17, 1902 – August 5, 1976)<ref name=":0" /> was an American educational and military administrator who led the [[United States Navy]]'s education for [[WAVES]] in [[World War II]]. She later served as director of the [[Women's Air Force]] in the [[Korean War]].<ref name=":02" />


== Early life and career ==
== Early life and career ==
Mary Josephine "Mary Jo" Shelly was born to Irish-American parents<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |title=Shelly, Mary Josephine (1902–05 August 1976), administrator for the arts and for service women's organizations |url=https://www.anb.org/display/10.1093/anb/9780198606697.001.0001/anb-9780198606697-e-1802252;jsessionid=7413115E06B83CEDF2D4041D69F73751 |access-date=2023-08-15 |website=American National Biography |language=en |doi=10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.1802252}}</ref> on February 17, 1902 the youngest of four children in [[Grand Rapids, Michigan]].<ref name=":02" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=McPherson |first=Elizabeth M. |title=The Bennington school of the dance: a history in writings and interviews |date=2013 |publisher=McFarland & Company |isbn=978-0-7864-7417-2 |location=Jefferson (N.C.)}}</ref><ref>"Shelly, Mary J. Mary Josephine, 1902-1976." ''The National Archives''. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/10597579</ref> In 1919, Shelly joined [[John Harvey Kellogg]]'s Battle Creek School of Physical Education, graduating in spring 1922. There she met [[Martha Hill]], who remained a close friend and colleague throughout her life. Several suspected a romantic component throughout their early relationship.<ref name=":12">{{Cite book |last=Soares |first=Janet Mansfield |title=Martha Hill [and] the making of American dance |date=2009 |publisher=Wesleyan university press |isbn=978-0-8195-6899-1 |location=Middletown (Conn.)}}</ref>
Mary Josephine "Mary Jo" Shelly was born to Irish-American parents<ref name=":02">{{Cite encyclopedia|last=Hering|first=Doris|pages=790–791|editor1-first=John A.|editor1-last=Garraty|editor2-first=Mar C.|editor2-last=Carnes|title=Shelly, Mary Josephine|url=https://www.anb.org/display/10.1093/anb/9780198606697.001.0001/anb-9780198606697-e-1802252 |access-date=August 15, 2023 |encyclopedia=American National Biography |volume=19|year=1999|publisher=Oxford University Press|language=en |isbn=0-19-512798-6|doi=10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.1802252}}</ref> on February 17, 1902, the youngest of four children, in [[Grand Rapids, Michigan]].<ref name=":02" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=McPherson |first=Elizabeth M. |title=The Bennington school of the dance: a history in writings and interviews |date=2013 |publisher=McFarland & Company |isbn=978-0-7864-7417-2 |location=Jefferson (N.C.)}}</ref><ref name=":0">"Shelly, Mary J. Mary Josephine, 1902-1976." ''The National Archives''. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/10597579</ref> In 1919, Shelly joined [[John Harvey Kellogg]]'s Battle Creek School of Physical Education, graduating in spring 1922. There she met [[Martha Hill]], who remained a close friend and colleague throughout her life. Several suspected a romantic component throughout their early relationship.<ref name=":12">{{Cite book |last=Soares |first=Janet Mansfield |title=Martha Hill [and] the making of American dance |date=2009 |publisher=Wesleyan university press |isbn=978-0-8195-6899-1 |location=Middletown (Conn.)}}</ref>


From 1923 to 1924, Shelly taught at the Battle Creek Normal School.<ref name=":3" /> Shelly attended the [[University of Oregon]], starting to teach physical education there in 1924 and earning her bachelor's degree in 1926.<ref name=":22">{{Cite news |date=1976-08-07 |title=Mary Josephine Shelly, 74; Educator and a Navy Aide (Published 1976) |language=en |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/08/07/archives/mary-josephine-shelly-74-educator-and-a-navy-aide.html |access-date=2023-08-15}}</ref><ref name=":12" /> She returned to the University of Oregon to teach. She later obtained her Master's degree from [[Teachers College, Columbia University]].<ref name=":22" /> While there, she, with fellow Kellogg-graduates [[Martha Hill]] and Edith Ballweber, enrolled in Gertrude Colby's program in the physical education requirement. In fall of 1929, she joined the faculty of Teacher's College.<ref name=":22" /><ref name=":02" /><ref name=":12" /> In 1932, Shelly was one of ten full-time professors hired at Columbia's New College, supervising courses on the study of communications and global studies.<ref name=":12" />
From 1923 to 1924, Shelly taught at the Battle Creek Normal School.<ref name=":3" /> Shelly attended the [[University of Oregon]], starting to teach physical education there in 1924 and earning her bachelor's degree in 1926.<ref name=":22">{{Cite news |date=August 7, 1976 |title=Mary Josephine Shelly, 74; Educator and a Navy Aide (Published 1976) |language=en |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/08/07/archives/mary-josephine-shelly-74-educator-and-a-navy-aide.html |access-date=August 15, 2023}}</ref><ref name=":12" /> She returned to the University of Oregon to teach. She later obtained her master's degree from [[Teachers College, Columbia University]].<ref name=":22" /> While there, she, with fellow Kellogg graduates Martha Hill and Edith Ballweber, enrolled in Gertrude Colby's program in the physical education requirement. In fall of 1929, she joined the faculty of Teacher's College.<ref name=":22" /><ref name=":02" /><ref name=":12" /> In 1932, Shelly was one of ten full-time professors hired at Columbia's New College, an experimental school within Teacher's College,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Anderson |first=Jack |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wnjRMCAWnxQC&dq=mary+josephine+shelly&pg=PA2 |title=The American Dance Festival |date=1987 |publisher=Duke University Press |isbn=978-0-8223-0683-2 |language=en}}</ref> where she supervised courses on the study of communications and global studies.<ref name=":12" />


In 1933, Shelly was invited to teach dance and develop a summer dance institute with Hill. The next summer, the Bennington School of Dance opened, with Shelly as the administrative director, dealing with "catastrophes" as they arose.<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":22" /> Notably, the program hosted [[Martha Graham]].<ref name=":12" /> Shelly returned in this position in summers until 1941.<ref name=":3" />
In 1933, Shelly was invited to teach dance and develop a summer dance institute with Hill. The next summer, the [[American Dance Festival|Bennington School of Dance]] opened as an "immediate success",<ref>{{Cite book |last=Limón |first=José |title=José Limón: An Unfinished Memoir |publisher=Publisher:Wesleyan University Press |year=2001 |isbn=9780819565051}}</ref> with Shelly as the administrative director, dealing with "catastrophes" as they arose.<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":22" /> Notably, the program hosted [[Martha Graham]], [[Doris Humphrey]], [[Charles Weidman]], [[Hanya Holm]], and [[José Limón|Jóse Limón]].<ref name=":12" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Kleinman |first=Seymour |date=1969 |title=Dance, the Arts, and the University |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3331461 |journal=Journal of Aesthetic Education |volume=3 |issue=1 |pages=49–54 |doi=10.2307/3331461 |jstor=3331461 |issn=0021-8510}}</ref> The rigorous program became "an important hub for modern dance",<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Lindgren |first1=Allana |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8VrLCQAAQBAJ&dq=%22Mary+Jo+Shelley%22&pg=PT742 |title=The Modernist World |last2=Ross |first2=Stephen |date=June 5, 2015 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-69615-5 |language=en}}</ref> and was particularly notable for teaching many techniques and approaches to modern dance with a focus on artistry.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kolcio |first=Katja Pylyshenko |title=Movable pillars: organizing dance, 1956 - 1978 |date=2010 |publisher=Wesleyan Univ. Press |isbn=978-0-8195-6911-0 |location=Middletown, Conn}}</ref> Shelly returned in this position in summers until 1941.<ref name=":3" />


In 1935, Shelly was appointed to <dfn>associate</dfn> professor of physical education and assistant to the dean of students at the [[University of Chicago]]. While there, she became assistant to the dean of students and chaired the women's physical education department, directing the Ida Noyes Gymnasium .<ref name=":02" /><ref name=":12" /> She brought her interest in dance into physical education.<ref name=":22" /> Shelly continued to spend her summers in Bennington, helping Hill with the summer program.<ref name=":12" /> In 1939, Shelly helped Hill move the Bennington summer dance program to [[Mills College at Northeastern University]] under [[Rosalind Cassidy]].<ref name=":12" />
In 1935, Shelly was appointed to <dfn>associate</dfn> professor of physical education and assistant to the dean of students at the [[University of Chicago]]. While there, she became assistant to the dean of students and chaired the women's physical education department, directing the Ida Noyes Gymnasium.<ref name=":02" /><ref name=":12" /> She brought her interest in dance into physical education.<ref name=":22" /> Shelly continued to spend her summers in Bennington, helping Hill with the summer program.<ref name=":12" /> In 1939, Shelly helped Hill move the Bennington summer dance program to [[Mills College at Northeastern University]] under [[Rosalind Cassidy]]<ref name=":12" /> and [[Aurelia Henry Reinhardt]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Baldwin |first=Neil |title=Martha Graham: when dance became modern: a life |date=2022 |publisher=Alfred A. Knopf |isbn=9780385352338 |edition=1st |location=New York}}</ref>


In 1938, Shelly joined Bennington College as the educational assistant to the president. In 1940, she also became the administrative director of the school of the arts.
In 1938, Shelly joined Bennington College as the educational assistant to university President [[Robert Devore Leigh]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=McPherson |first=Elizabeth M. |title=The Bennington school of the dance: a history in writings and interviews |date=2013 |publisher=McFarland & Company |isbn=978-0-7864-7417-2 |location=Jefferson (N.C.)}}</ref> In 1940, she also became the administrative director of the school of the arts.<ref name=":02" />


== Military Career ==
== Military career ==
In April, 1942, Shelly took stock of Bennington's "resources for the national service" for the war.<ref name=":12" /> Shelly was contacted by [[Gene Tunney]], who was in charge of training men in the navy, asking her to take over for women. Though she initially refused, when he visited Bennington in person, she agreed.<ref name=":12" /> In September 1942, Shelly took a leave of absense from Bennington College to join the Women's Naval Reserve as a lieutenant in charge of ‘physical training and drill. She was among the first lieutenants commissioned in [[WAVES]]. She was quickly promoted to Assistant for the Women's Reserve to the Director of Training of the Navy, [[Mildred H. McAfee]]. In this position, she led the expansion of WAVES schools from one to 32. At the end of the war, she planned and oversaw the demobilization of 82,000 WAVES. Secretary of the Navy [[James Forrestal]] awarded her a Secretarial Citation in honor of her service.<ref name=":22" />
In April 1942, Shelly took stock of Bennington's "resources for the national service" for the war.<ref name=":12" /> Shelly was contacted by [[Gene Tunney]], who was in charge of training men in the Navy, asking her to take over for women. Though she initially refused, when he visited Bennington in person, she agreed.<ref name=":12" /> In September 1942, Shelly temporarily left Bennington College to join the Women's Naval Reserve as a lieutenant in charge of physical training and drill. She was one of the first lieutenants commissioned in [[WAVES]]. She was quickly promoted to Assistant for the Women's Reserve to the Director of Training of the Navy, [[Mildred H. McAfee]]. In this position, she led the WAVES schools to expand from just one to thirty-two. At the end of the war, she planned and oversaw the demobilization of 82,000 WAVES. Secretary of the Navy [[James Forrestal]] awarded her a Secretarial Citation in honor of her service.<ref name=":22" />
[[File:Heads of the Women's Military Branches.jpg|alt=Black and white photograph of three women in military dress.|thumb|Photo from 1951 of the Heads of <dfn>three of the women</dfn>'s services watching their units pass in review at the river entrance of the Pentagon. Shelly is on the right.]]
[[File:Heads of the Women's Military Branches.jpg|alt=Black and white photograph of three women in military dress.|thumb|Photo from 1951 of the Heads of <dfn>three of the women</dfn>'s services watching their units pass in review at the river entrance of the Pentagon. Shelly is on the right.]]
Shelly returned to Bennington after the war as the college's director of admissions,<ref name=":3" /> and reverted to the [[Military reserve]] as a commander.<ref name=":22" /> In the public view, "many strong women were assumed to be lesbians, and Mary Jo was proudly one of them."<ref name=":12" /> In 1948, Shell, now romantically involved with a fellow WAVE, purchased a summer cottage in [[Block Island]].<ref name=":12" />
Shelly returned to Bennington after the war as the college's director of admissions,<ref name=":3" /> and reverted to the [[Military reserve]] as a commander.<ref name=":22" /> In the public view, "many strong women were assumed to be lesbians, and Mary Jo was proudly one of them."<ref name=":12" /> In 1948, Shelly, now romantically involved with a fellow WAVE, purchased a summer cottage in [[Block Island]].<ref name=":12" />


During the Korean War, the United States was working to increase the recruitment of women in the Air Force. In 1951, Shelly met with Assistant Secretary of the Defense [[Anna Rosenberg]], who asked her to take [[Geraldine Pratt May]]'s position of director of Women in the Air Force. Though she was initially hesitant, she ultimately agreed, and took another leave from Bennington to become an Air Force colonel.
During the Korean War, the United States was working to increase the recruitment of women in the Air Force. In 1951, Shelly met with Assistant Secretary of the Defense [[Anna Rosenberg]], [[United States Secretary of the Air Force|Secretary of the Air Force]] [[Thomas K. Finletter]], and [[Air Force Chief of Staff]] [[Hoyt Vandenberg]], who asked her to take [[Geraldine Pratt May]]'s position of director of the [[Women's Air Force]] (WAF). Though she was initially hesitant, she ultimately agreed, and joined the Air Force as a colonel.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Witt |first=Linda |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B2Axj4NbJ0YC&dq=mary+josephine+shelly&pg=PA274 |title=A Defense Weapon Known to be of Value: Servicewomen of the Korean War Era |date=2005 |publisher=UPNE |isbn=978-1-58465-472-8 |language=en}}</ref>


Shelly inherited the problems that May had struggled with, including problems with women's uniforms, which were not constructed to fit the women, and substandard housing. She also faced low morale due to civilian women doing the same jobs, but in more attractive clothing and less restrictive positions. The WAF also struggled with a low education rate, with 29% of recruits lacking a high school diploma, and a high attrition rate. In 1952, [[Jeanne M. Holm]] reported to Shelly that the WAF was in danger of shrinking until it disappeared. In response to this, Shelly worked to make the WAF more elite, dropping quotas and raising the minimum [[Armed Forces Qualification Test]] score. Following this change, though fewer women were recruited, they outperformed men in several areas. Although the number of women in administration shrunk, nearly twice as many women were growing in high-tech communications.<ref name=":02" />
Shelly inherited the problems that May had struggled with, including problems with women's uniforms, which were not constructed to fit the women, and substandard housing. She also faced low morale due to civilian women doing the same jobs, but in more attractive clothing and less restrictive positions. The WAF also struggled with a low education rate, with 29% of recruits lacking a high school diploma, and a high attrition rate. In 1952, [[Jeanne M. Holm]] reported to Shelly that the WAF was in danger of shrinking until it disappeared. In response to this, Shelly worked to make the WAF more elite, dropping quotas and raising the minimum [[Armed Forces Qualification Test]] score. Following this change, though fewer women were recruited, they outperformed men in several areas.<ref name=":1" /> Although the number of women in administration shrunk, nearly twice as many women were growing in high-tech communications.<ref name=":02" />


In 1953, Shelly returned to Bennington as director of personnel.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":22" /> In January 1954, she resigned from the Air Force.<ref name=":02" /> That same year, she began working for the [[Girl Scouts of the USA]] as their public relations director. She retired in 1966.<ref name=":3" />
In 1953, Shelly returned to Bennington as director of personnel.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":22" /> In January 1954, she resigned from the Air Force.<ref name=":02" /> That same year, she began working for the [[Girl Scouts of the USA]] as their public relations director. She retired in 1966.<ref name=":3" />


== Later life and death ==
== Later life and death ==
In 1967, Shelly and Hill began writing a book about Bennington.<ref name=":12" />
In 1967, Shelly and Hill began writing a book about Bennington.<ref name=":12" /> While the book was unpublished, Shelly's writings were widely referenced in accounts of the Bennington School of Dance.<ref name=":3" />


On August 2, Shelly was suddenly hospitalized. On August 5, 1976 she died at [[New York Hospital]].<ref name=":22" /><ref name=":12" />
On August 2, 1976, Shelly was suddenly hospitalized and on August 5, died at [[New York Hospital]].<ref name=":22" /><ref name=":12" />


== References ==
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
<references />

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shelly, Mary Josephine}}
[[Category:20th-century American women]]
[[Category:Women in the United States Navy]]
[[Category:Women in the United States Air Force]]
[[Category:University of Oregon faculty]]
[[Category:University of Oregon alumni]]
[[Category:Teachers College, Columbia University alumni]]
[[Category:Teachers College, Columbia University faculty]]
[[Category:Bennington College faculty]]
[[Category:1902 births]]
[[Category:1976 deaths]]
[[Category:Physical education]]
[[Category:Female United States Navy officers]]
[[Category:WAVES personnel]]
[[Category:LGBTQ people from Michigan]]
[[Category:American LGBTQ military personnel]]

Latest revision as of 20:07, 24 September 2024

"Mary Shelly" redirects here. For the English novelist, see Mary Shelley.

Mary Josephine Shelly
Shelly in 1952
Nickname(s)Mary Jo
Born(1902-02-17)February 17, 1902
Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S.
DiedAugust 5, 1976(1976-08-05) (aged 74)
New York City, U.S.
Service/branch
Years of service
  • 1941–1945
  • 1951–1954
Rank
Battles/wars
Alma mater

Mary Josephine Shelly (February 17, 1902 – August 5, 1976)[1] was an American educational and military administrator who led the United States Navy's education for WAVES in World War II. She later served as director of the Women's Air Force in the Korean War.[2]

Early life and career

[edit]

Mary Josephine "Mary Jo" Shelly was born to Irish-American parents[2] on February 17, 1902, the youngest of four children, in Grand Rapids, Michigan.[2][3][1] In 1919, Shelly joined John Harvey Kellogg's Battle Creek School of Physical Education, graduating in spring 1922. There she met Martha Hill, who remained a close friend and colleague throughout her life. Several suspected a romantic component throughout their early relationship.[4]

From 1923 to 1924, Shelly taught at the Battle Creek Normal School.[3] Shelly attended the University of Oregon, starting to teach physical education there in 1924 and earning her bachelor's degree in 1926.[5][4] She returned to the University of Oregon to teach. She later obtained her master's degree from Teachers College, Columbia University.[5] While there, she, with fellow Kellogg graduates Martha Hill and Edith Ballweber, enrolled in Gertrude Colby's program in the physical education requirement. In fall of 1929, she joined the faculty of Teacher's College.[5][2][4] In 1932, Shelly was one of ten full-time professors hired at Columbia's New College, an experimental school within Teacher's College,[6] where she supervised courses on the study of communications and global studies.[4]

In 1933, Shelly was invited to teach dance and develop a summer dance institute with Hill. The next summer, the Bennington School of Dance opened as an "immediate success",[7] with Shelly as the administrative director, dealing with "catastrophes" as they arose.[4][5] Notably, the program hosted Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, Charles Weidman, Hanya Holm, and Jóse Limón.[4][8] The rigorous program became "an important hub for modern dance",[9] and was particularly notable for teaching many techniques and approaches to modern dance with a focus on artistry.[10] Shelly returned in this position in summers until 1941.[3]

In 1935, Shelly was appointed to associate professor of physical education and assistant to the dean of students at the University of Chicago. While there, she became assistant to the dean of students and chaired the women's physical education department, directing the Ida Noyes Gymnasium.[2][4] She brought her interest in dance into physical education.[5] Shelly continued to spend her summers in Bennington, helping Hill with the summer program.[4] In 1939, Shelly helped Hill move the Bennington summer dance program to Mills College at Northeastern University under Rosalind Cassidy[4] and Aurelia Henry Reinhardt.[11]

In 1938, Shelly joined Bennington College as the educational assistant to university President Robert Devore Leigh.[12] In 1940, she also became the administrative director of the school of the arts.[2]

Military career

[edit]

In April 1942, Shelly took stock of Bennington's "resources for the national service" for the war.[4] Shelly was contacted by Gene Tunney, who was in charge of training men in the Navy, asking her to take over for women. Though she initially refused, when he visited Bennington in person, she agreed.[4] In September 1942, Shelly temporarily left Bennington College to join the Women's Naval Reserve as a lieutenant in charge of physical training and drill. She was one of the first lieutenants commissioned in WAVES. She was quickly promoted to Assistant for the Women's Reserve to the Director of Training of the Navy, Mildred H. McAfee. In this position, she led the WAVES schools to expand from just one to thirty-two. At the end of the war, she planned and oversaw the demobilization of 82,000 WAVES. Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal awarded her a Secretarial Citation in honor of her service.[5]

Black and white photograph of three women in military dress.
Photo from 1951 of the Heads of three of the women's services watching their units pass in review at the river entrance of the Pentagon. Shelly is on the right.

Shelly returned to Bennington after the war as the college's director of admissions,[3] and reverted to the Military reserve as a commander.[5] In the public view, "many strong women were assumed to be lesbians, and Mary Jo was proudly one of them."[4] In 1948, Shelly, now romantically involved with a fellow WAVE, purchased a summer cottage in Block Island.[4]

During the Korean War, the United States was working to increase the recruitment of women in the Air Force. In 1951, Shelly met with Assistant Secretary of the Defense Anna Rosenberg, Secretary of the Air Force Thomas K. Finletter, and Air Force Chief of Staff Hoyt Vandenberg, who asked her to take Geraldine Pratt May's position of director of the Women's Air Force (WAF). Though she was initially hesitant, she ultimately agreed, and joined the Air Force as a colonel.[13]

Shelly inherited the problems that May had struggled with, including problems with women's uniforms, which were not constructed to fit the women, and substandard housing. She also faced low morale due to civilian women doing the same jobs, but in more attractive clothing and less restrictive positions. The WAF also struggled with a low education rate, with 29% of recruits lacking a high school diploma, and a high attrition rate. In 1952, Jeanne M. Holm reported to Shelly that the WAF was in danger of shrinking until it disappeared. In response to this, Shelly worked to make the WAF more elite, dropping quotas and raising the minimum Armed Forces Qualification Test score. Following this change, though fewer women were recruited, they outperformed men in several areas.[13] Although the number of women in administration shrunk, nearly twice as many women were growing in high-tech communications.[2]

In 1953, Shelly returned to Bennington as director of personnel.[3][5] In January 1954, she resigned from the Air Force.[2] That same year, she began working for the Girl Scouts of the USA as their public relations director. She retired in 1966.[3]

Later life and death

[edit]

In 1967, Shelly and Hill began writing a book about Bennington.[4] While the book was unpublished, Shelly's writings were widely referenced in accounts of the Bennington School of Dance.[3]

On August 2, 1976, Shelly was suddenly hospitalized and on August 5, died at New York Hospital.[5][4]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Shelly, Mary J. Mary Josephine, 1902-1976." The National Archives. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/10597579
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Hering, Doris (1999). "Shelly, Mary Josephine". In Garraty, John A.; Carnes, Mar C. (eds.). American National Biography. Vol. 19. Oxford University Press. pp. 790–791. doi:10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.1802252. ISBN 0-19-512798-6. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g McPherson, Elizabeth M. (2013). The Bennington school of the dance: a history in writings and interviews. Jefferson (N.C.): McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-0-7864-7417-2.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Soares, Janet Mansfield (2009). Martha Hill [and] the making of American dance. Middletown (Conn.): Wesleyan university press. ISBN 978-0-8195-6899-1.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Mary Josephine Shelly, 74; Educator and a Navy Aide (Published 1976)". August 7, 1976. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  6. ^ Anderson, Jack (1987). The American Dance Festival. Duke University Press. ISBN 978-0-8223-0683-2.
  7. ^ Limón, José (2001). José Limón: An Unfinished Memoir. Publisher:Wesleyan University Press. ISBN 9780819565051.
  8. ^ Kleinman, Seymour (1969). "Dance, the Arts, and the University". Journal of Aesthetic Education. 3 (1): 49–54. doi:10.2307/3331461. ISSN 0021-8510. JSTOR 3331461.
  9. ^ Lindgren, Allana; Ross, Stephen (June 5, 2015). The Modernist World. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-69615-5.
  10. ^ Kolcio, Katja Pylyshenko (2010). Movable pillars: organizing dance, 1956 - 1978. Middletown, Conn: Wesleyan Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0-8195-6911-0.
  11. ^ Baldwin, Neil (2022). Martha Graham: when dance became modern: a life (1st ed.). New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 9780385352338.
  12. ^ McPherson, Elizabeth M. (2013). The Bennington school of the dance: a history in writings and interviews. Jefferson (N.C.): McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-0-7864-7417-2.
  13. ^ a b Witt, Linda (2005). A Defense Weapon Known to be of Value: Servicewomen of the Korean War Era. UPNE. ISBN 978-1-58465-472-8.
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