Marion Walker Spidle (1897–1983) was an American educator. She was inducted into the Alabama Women's Hall of Fame.

Biography

Born on July 18, 1897, to parents Letford William Walker and Georgeina Young Walker, in Jersey City, New Jersey. Spidle attended public schools in New Jersey and in Tennessee, and later graduating from the

University of Montevallo The University of Montevallo is a public university in Montevallo, Alabama. Founded on October 12, 1896, the university is Alabama's only public liberal arts college and a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. The University of M ...

in 1916. She also gained a

B.S. A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University ...

and

M.A. A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

from

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

, and completed

Graduate Studies Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachelor's) degree. The organization and stru ...

at the

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billion ...

. Spidle worked for the Alabama Polytechnic Institute from 1928 until it became Auburn University in 1960. She worked for Auburn, from 1960 until retiring in 1966. Spidle served as a Limestone County home demonstration agent. She later became both head and dean of the Auburn School of Home Economics, the dean of women, and the head of the

agricultural experiment station An agricultural experiment station (AES) or agricultural research station (ARS) is a scientific research center that investigates difficulties and potential improvements to food production and agribusiness. Experiment station scientists work with f ...

. She campaigned heavily to secure funding for the School of Economics at Auburn. Spidle also worked with the

American Home Economics Association American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) is an American professional association that networks professionals in the area of family and consumer science. It was founded in 1908 as the American Home Economics Association by Ellen ...

, Presbyterian Church, and

. Spidle married William Clarence Spidle, and they had one child, Margaret Campbell Spidle. Spidle was named

Progressive Farmer ''Progressive Farmer'' is an agricultural magazine, published 14 times a year by DTN. The magazine is based in Birmingham, Alabama. History Founded in Winston, North Carolina, in 1886 by North Carolina native Leonidas Lafayette Polk (1837–18 ...

's Woman of the Year in Alabama in 1960. The Auburn University Home Economics Alumni Association established a scholarship honoring her. The National Council of Administrators of Home Economics named Spidle a pioneer in home economics in 1968. The home economics building at Auburn University in 1971 was named Marion Walker Spidle Hall. At the 1977 annual meeting of the Alabama Home Economics Association (of which she was a founder), she was honored for being a member for fifty years. In 1973, she was elected a

ruling elder Presbyterian (or presbyteral) polity is a method of church governance ("ecclesiastical polity") typified by the rule of assemblies of presbyters, or elders. Each local church is governed by a body of elected elders usually called the session or ...

of the Auburn Presbyterian Church.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spidle, Marion Walker 1897 births 1983 deaths University of Montevallo alumni Auburn University faculty