Frances Humprey Howard

Born in South Dakota and a graduate of George Washington University (B.A. 1937, M.A. 1941), Frances (Humphrey) Howard (1914-2002) was special assistant to Eleanor Roosevelt in the Office of Civilian Defense (1941-1942), a consultant to UNESCO, and organizer of the first United Nations people-to-people tour of Europe (1957). Following the death of her husband, I. Ray Howard, she served as a foreign service officer in the Agency for International Development (1960-1968) where she was director of the Special Project Branch in the Office of the War on Hunger. After resigning in 1968 in order to campaign for her brother, Hubert Humphrey, Howard returned to public service, serving as chief liaison officer for voluntary health programs in the U.S. Dept. of Health, Education, and Welfare (1969-1970), and as liaison between the National Library of Medicine and other federal agencies. She served on numerous boards in the Washington, D.C. area, and received many awards recognizing her five decades of public service.