The IAFSA Executive Board is pleased to announce the receipt of a $1.4 million gift from the estate of
Adah Elizabeth (Betty) Whitney, a member of the class of 1935. This gift will enable the Association to continue its tradition of service, while working to increase its benevolent support for alumni and students of Framingham State College.
Betty Whitney was clearly ahead of her time. As a young woman who grew up in the 1920s, she pursued an education and went on to hold a number of important positions. After graduating from Framingham State Teachers College, with a B.S. in Home Economics and Nutrition, she worked as a dietitian at several hospitals.
During World War II, Betty enlisted in the U.S. Army as a second lieutenant and served as a medical dietitian at a Station Hospital in England until 1945 when she returned from the war as a captain. Following her service, Betty worked as a home economist for G. Fox & Co., Kraft Foods Company, and the National Dairy Council. A pioneer in early television, she became the host of a live consumer program on Chicago television, called “Teleshopper with Betty Whitney.”
For the next sixteen years, Betty was a dietitian for the Arabian American Oil Company Hospital in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. This location afforded her the opportunity to travel the world, visiting many countries throughout Europe and Asia. During her years abroad, Betty corresponded with FSC alumni through notes to the Association about her journeys and experiences. Betty was honored by the Association in 1985, when she was the recipient of an alumni achievement award. She spent her retirement in Texas and died in April of 2006.
In keeping with the IAFSA mission of serving the financial needs of students and alumni, the Executive Board has decided to use a portion of this gift to honor the legacy of Betty Whitney. The Board will establish a grant program to provide funds to enable students, alumni, and faculty to pursue academic interests that require travel.
“This bequest gives IAFSA the opportunity to increase its service to our constituents and to provide financial support for a program that is different from any currently offered,” said Joe Collins ’84, IAFSA President. “We hope this grant program will assist students, alumni, and faculty to advance their personal and professional dreams by pursuing academic opportunities outside our region.” Details of the program are still in development.