In Memoriam

Marie Louise Primas (1913-2009)

Marie Louise Primas, who taught languages at Howard University in the 1930s and 1940s, has died at her daughter’s home in Tallahassee, Florida. She was 96 years old.

Primas was a native of Wilson, North Carolina. When she was a young girl, her family moved to Washington, D.C., where she attended the racially segregated Dunbar High School. She went on to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Howard University. She taught English, French, and Spanish at Howard University and at high schools in the District of Columbia.

Elba Cleland (1953-2009)

Elba Cleland, a professor of social work at Simmons College, died last month from uterine cancer at a hospital in Boston. She was 56 years old.

Professor Cleland was born in Costa Rica. She came to the United States after finishing high school in 1971. She enrolled in Northeastern University but transferred and in 1976 earned a bachelor’s degree in social work at Boston University. She later earned master’s degrees in social work and African-American studies at Boston University.

In addition to teaching at Simmons College, Cleland taught at Boston University, Regis College, and Bridgewater State College. She also served as director of managed care at the South End Community Health Center in Boston.

Copyright © 2009. The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. All rights reserved.