Wallis, Marie Pope

Wallis was a professor of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of New Mexico. She was also at various times a writer, social worker, librarian, a member of the Women's Army Corps, an officer in the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (U.N.R.R.A.)in Europe following World War II, and an actress and director of the "Wallis Players" in the 1920s and 1930s.

Born in Des Moines, Iowa in 1901, Dr. Marie Pope Wallis is a social worker, educator, librarian, and actress. She received a B.A. from U.C.L.A., two master's degrees from the University of Southern California, a Ph.D. from the University of New Mexico in 1947, and two additional Master's degrees from the University of Oklahoma. She also did post graduate work at universities in Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Peru and attended the Marta Oatman drama school in Los Angeles. She was the superintendent and district director of the California Relief Administration from 1933 to 1938, when she came to New Mexico. She was the Albuquerque zone director for the W.P.A., 1938-1939, and served on state commissions and committees concerning social welfare, women's activities, migratory labor, civic recreation, and Girl Scouts. She was an Assistant Professor of Portuguese and Spanish at the University of New Mexico and was associated with that University's Rodney Theatre and the Albuquerque area for several years. She has written articles on Latin American literature, social work, and education and columns in Western Woman and religious publications.

Social worker, educator and author. During the 1930s Wallis worked for the W.P.A. in both California and New Mexico. She taught foreign languages at the University of New Mexico, where she earned her doctorate.

Marie Pope Wallis, 1901-1975, social worker, teacher, librarian, writer, World War II veteran and licensed pilot in the Civil Air Patrol. After receiving one of the first two Doctor of Philosophy degrees from University of New Mexico, she taught Spanish and Portuguese at the University.

Marie Pope Wallis, 1901-1975 - social worker, teacher, librarian, writer - held M.A. degrees in Speech, Social Work, Library Science, Elementary Education and Creative Writing. In 1947, she received one of the first two Doctor of Philosophy degrees conferred at UNM. After receiving her Ph.D., in Ibero-American Literature, she taught Spanish and Portuguese as an Assistant Professor at UNM.

Dr. Wallis had careers in social service, education and a number of libraries. She was a World War II veteran and licensed pilot in the Civil Air Patrol. She appeared in several theater productions with the Albuquerque Little Theater and elsewhere, and traveled widely throughout the world.