Brooks, Eleanor Stabler

Margaret Brooks Morse was born October 23, 1917 in New Haven, Connecticut, the daughter of Eleanor Stabler Brooks and Charles Franklin Brooks, and was the second of their seven children. She attended Radcliffe College (A.B. 1938) where she studied English Literature and the classics, and was a member and president of the Radcliffe Choral Society.

After graduating MBM spent ten weeks bicycling around England and Europe, including Nazi Germany. Upon her return, she enrolled in Simmons College of Social Work and earned an A.M. (1940). She was employed as a medical social worker (1940-1941) at New Haven Hospital in New Haven. In 1941 she married Philip (Pete) Weber Morse (Harvard 1938), and relocated to Cleveland, Ohio where she worked as a medical social worker at university hospitals in Cleveland. During PWM's wartime service in the Navy, MBM temporarily relocated to New York City where she gave birth to Philip Morse (March 19, 1943). She moved later to Cambridge to be close to her family.

On PWM's return in 1945, the family moved to Elnora, New York where he worked for General Electric in Schenectady and served on the Elnora school board. MBM, who suffered a miscarriage in 1944, gave birth to their daughter, Eleanor Lincoln, on July 11, 1946. She returned to work part time as a discussion leader in the department of Adult Education (1948-1949). On May 19, 1951 their third child, Alan was born.

In 1957, PWM left his job at General Electric and joined Magnethermic, a competing firm. As a result, the family moved to Youngstown, Ohio, and then to nearby Poland. MBM became the director of the First Unitarian Church Choir in Youngstown (1959-1960).

PWM was let go from Magnethermic and began work for Weatherhead Co. as the district sales manager for New England, eventually becoming the director of marketing services. The family relocated in 1961 to Cleveland Heights and then to the city of Cleveland.

MBM taught communication skills to first and second year medical students at Western Reserve University and coordinated the Women's Counseling and Counselor training at the Free Medical Clinic of Greater Cleveland. She was active in the National Peace and Social Welfare Committee of the National Association of Social Workers and founder of a childbirth education center in Cleveland. Then, in 1963 MBM was dismissed from her post at Western Reserve University; students protested on her behalf and she filed a lawsuit for wrongful termination. Additionally, the same year, she studied in a Ph.D. program at the Western Reserve School of Applied Sciences (later Case Western Reserve University) but did not complete her degree.

A political activist throughout her life, MBM protested against the Vietnam War. In 1982 on PWM's retirement they moved to Falmouth, Maine, where she joined the Peace Education Committee of the Maine Chapter of NASW (National Association of Social Workers), an educational and legislative action group), and worked for a nuclear freeze and for nuclear disarmament. After a visit to the Soviet Union (1985), she spoke at more than 40 area schools about her experiences and helped banish stereotypes of Russian and Slavic cultures. As a result she was named Maine Social Worker of the Year.

MBM was also involved with the American Association of University Women and her local Radcliffe alumnae club. An accomplished musician she sang, conducted, and played several instruments including piano and violin.

Margaret Brooks Morse died December 31, 1997 at the age of 80.

From the guide to the Papers, 1917-1985, (Radcliffe College Archives, Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute)