PLAEHN, Erma, Dr. 1908-1974

PLAEHN

Posted By: S. Bell
Date: 10/22/2014 at 18:26:47

[Waterloo Courier, Thursday, September 12, 1974, Waterloo, Iowa]

CEDAR PALLS - The organizer and former head of the University of Northern Iowa's political science department, Dr. Erma Plaehn, died Wednesday at Sartori Memorial Hospital after a long illness.

Funeral services for Dr. Plaehn, 67, of 1205 W. 18th St., will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the United Church of Christ

Born Oct. 21, 1908, in Grundy County, she was the daughter of George and Anna
Strohbehn Plaehn and resided in the Reinbeck and Cedar Falls area most of her life.

Dr. Plaehn was a graduate of Reinbeck High School and received her Bachelor's degree at Cornell College in Mt. Vernon. She received her Master's and Ph. D. degree from the University of Iowa. She was a high school government teacher at University High School in Iowa City and Price Laboratory School in Cedar Falls before joining the Department of Social Sciences at UNI in 1936. With the growth of political science, she led the move to create a separate department and became its first head in 1969.

In 1972 she won the Democratic nomination for Black Hawk County supervisor.

Dr. Plaehn retired as a political science instructor in 1973 after 37 years of service
at the university. She was n a member of the Governor's Commission on the Status of Women, and the board of directors of the Iowa Center for Education and Politics. Active in more than a dozen academic organizations she help found the Iowa Conference of Political Scientists and served as an officer.

In 1959, she received the Torch and Tassel award as an outstanding woman educator
and twice received the UNI Alumni Award.

She was a member of the League of Women Voters and the American Association of University Women.

Dr. Plaehn's extensive writings include contributions to the Iowa State course of study
for American government and the Iowa State course.

She traveled extensively in Europe and South America including travels with students to study at Oxford University.

Survivors include her brother, Willis of Reinbeck and several distant relatives.

The family requests memorials be given in her name to the charity of choice. Friends may call at the French Funeral Home in Reinbeck after 7 p.m., Thursday and until 9 a.m. on Saturday. Burial will be in Reinbeck Cemetery.

Black Hawk Obituaries maintained by Karen De Groote.
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