Remembering Mabel Curry

Mabel Curry, retired Associate Professor and Chair of Home Economics, died in January 2015 in Apple Valley, Minn.

She was born Jan. 29, 1920, in Woodbine, Iowa. She earned an A.A. degree from Graceland College, Lamoni, Iowa, in 1939; a bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University in 1941; and a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in 1955.

She and Myron Curry, Assistant Professor Emeritus of Speech and retired Director of KFJM and Closed Circuit TV, had four children.

Professional positions she held include dietitian at the University of Omaha, 1941-1942; at the Martin Bomber Plant, Omaha, 1942-1943; and assistant dietitian at Midvale School, Madison, Wis., 1952-1954.

From 1954 to 1955 she taught in a Madison, Wis., junior high school, and then spent four years teaching in an East Grand Forks high school.

In 1959, she was named an instructor of home economics at UND, where she remained until her retirement in 1985. She was Chair of the then Home Economics Department (now Department of Nutrition and Dietetics) from 1979-1983 and was promoted to Associate Professor in 1968. She taught in the areas of foods and nutrition, consumer buying and housing and furnishings. She was twice awarded the University Outstanding Teacher Award.

Her strong interest in architecture, design and the arts were “woven” into her teaching. She was fond of saying, “Good nutrition will help you live longer but knowledge of the arts will make your life more interesting.” Former faculty, students and her family note that Mrs. Curry promoted proper nutrition throughout her life.

Her family was careful to note that the meal after her memorial service would, of course, be nutritious featuring her recipes! She was also a strong advocate for women faculty at a time when there were few female faculty and even fewer female department chairs. Mabel Curry was a woman who “was ahead of her time.” She left behind a legacy of achievement and progress that has served as a challenge for all.