Marianne Githens (November 10, 1936 – February 27, 2018) was an American political scientist, feminist, and author. She was an Elizabeth Conolly Todd Distinguished Professor and the co-founder of the Women's Study Program at

Goucher College Goucher College ( ') is a private liberal arts college in Towson, Maryland. It was chartered in 1885 by a conference in Baltimore led by namesake John F. Goucher and local leaders of the Methodist Episcopal Church.https://archive.org/details/ ...

. In 1977, she co-authored the anthology ''

A Portrait of Marginality ''A Portrait of Marginality'' is a 1977 book edited by Marianne Githens and Jewel Prestage on the political behavior of American women. It is an anthology of 22 papers on women's participation or lack of it in American politics. It includes a sect ...

''.

Early life and education

Githens was born in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

to Anita Keller, a schoolteacher and life-long resident of Cedarhurst,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

and John H. Githens, an accountant. She was raised in Cedarhurst,

. She had one brother, John Lawrence. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from

Marymount Manhattan College Marymount Manhattan College is a private college on the Upper East Side of New York City. As of 2020, enrollment consists of 1,571 undergraduates with women making up 80.1% and men 19.9% of student enrollment. The college was founded in 1936. Hi ...

. After graduation Githens moved to

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, where she lived with an emigre German Jewish family near

Hampstead Heath Hampstead Heath (locally known simply as the Heath) is an ancient heath in London, spanning . This grassy public space sits astride a sandy ridge, one of the highest points in London, running from Hampstead to Highgate, which rests on a band ...

. Githens studied at the

London School of Economics , mottoeng = To understand the causes of things , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £240.8 million (2021) , budget = £391.1 mill ...

, earning a doctorate in European political institutions and French political thought in 1960. Her dissertation was titled ''The Separation of Powers in the Working Constitution of the Fourth Republic''.

Career

Githens taught full-time at

from 1965 to 2014. She taught part-time until 2016. She was recognized by peers as a "pioneer scholar" in the field of women in politics and public policy. Githens was an advocate for inclusion, diversity, and equity. This advocacy included women's rights and for urban neighborhoods in

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

. She was a co-founder of the Women's Studies Program at Goucher and served as the chair of the political science program. In 1977, Githens and

Jewel Prestage Jewel Limar Prestage (August 12, 1931 – August 1, 2014) was an American political scientist, citizen activist, educator, mentor, and author. She is the first African-American woman to receive a doctorate in political science in the United Sta ...

authored the anthology ''

.'' In 1993, Githens was commissioned to write a report on women in Europe by the

European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body ...

's Commission of the European Communities for Program Development. In 2000, Githens was named Goucher College's Elizabeth Conolly Todd Distinguished Professor due to her "leadership, scholarship, teaching and community activism." The appointment provides five years of funds to pursue research.

Personal life

Githens was a feminist and enjoyed fashion and jewelry. She married Stanley Zenith Mazer in 1973. Mazer was a dean and professor at

Baltimore City Community College Baltimore City Community College (BCCC) is a public community college in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the only community college in the city and the only state-sponsored community college in the state. It is accredited by the Middle States Commiss ...

. The couple met during

Parren Mitchell Parren James Mitchell (April 29, 1922 – May 28, 2007) was an American politician who served as a U.S. Congressman affiliated with the Democratic Party representing the 7th congressional district of Maryland from January 3, 1971 to January 3, ...

's campaign where they were both were interested in racial equality. Githens and Mazer moved into the

Mount Vernon Mount Vernon is an American landmark and former plantation of Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States George Washington and his wife, Martha. The estate is ...

neighborhood in

in 1994. Githens had two sons and two daughters. Githens died February 27, 2018, of a heart attack at the age of 83. She was survived by her children, brother, and five grandchildren.

Awards and honors

Githens received multiple awards from Goucher College, including the Outstanding Teaching Award, Caroline Doebler Bruckerl Faculty Award, and a Human Rights Scholar Award. She was recognized by

with a Distinguished Alumna Award. In 1997, Githens and her husband were presented a preservation project award from

Baltimore Heritage Baltimore Heritage is an American nonprofit historic-preservation organization headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland. Foundation Baltimore Heritage, Inc. was founded in 1960, and Baltimore's nonprofit historic preservation advocacy organizati ...

Selected works

Articles

* * * *

Books

* * * * Reviews of ''Abortion Politics: Public Policy in Cross-Cultural Perspective'': * * *

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Githens, Marianne 1936 births 2018 deaths 20th-century American non-fiction writers 20th-century American women writers 21st-century American non-fiction writers 21st-century American women writers Activists from Maryland Activists from New York City Alumni of the London School of Economics American feminist writers American women political scientists American political scientists American women academics American women's rights activists Goucher College faculty and staff Marymount Manhattan College alumni People from Baltimore People from Cedarhurst, New York Scientists from Baltimore Scientists from New York City Writers from Baltimore American women non-fiction writers