Skip to main content

McMenamin, Joan Stitt (Mrs. Edward B.)

 Person

Biography

Joan Stitt McMenamin came to Nightingale in 1959, eventually serving as the fifth headmistress from 1971 until her retirement in 1992.

Mrs. McMenamin attended the Masters School in Dobbs Ferry, New York, followed by Smith College, where she earned an economics degree, and the Katharine Gibbs School for secretarial skills (per her father's wishes, who believed it would ensure her financial independence). She worked in Paris as secretary and researcher for the Marshall Plan and Paul Hoffman of the Ford Foundation. In 1953, she married Edward B. McMenamin and they lived in Paris and Washington, D.C., where Mrs. McMenamin worked for the European Coal and Steel Community doing general administrative and public relations work. In 1958, the McMenamins moved to New York City, where Mr. McMenamin became Deputy Provost of Columbia University and then Secretary of the University.

In 1959, at the urgent request of a friend and Nightingale Trustee, Mrs. McMenamin came to Nightingale to fill in for one week as a typist for Catherine Woodbridge, who was headmistress at that time. She stayed to help with scheduling and reaccreditation matters, and her education and talents led to her role as a history teacher, where she emphasized knowledge of current events. Mrs. McMenamin's activities outside of Nightingale included serving as a trustee at The Buckley School and The Town School and as an elder at the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church

The Joan Stitt McMenamin lecture was created following her death in 2004, with the first lecture given in November 2005.

Found in 560 Collections and/or Records:

Photograph of Cathy Kramer, Joan McMenamin, and Marcia Nielsen at unknown event, c. 1995 - 2004

 Item — Box: 06001
Identifier: 006 005 000 14 0047
Scope and Contents From the Sub-Group: Heads of School records consist of records created by or under the purview of the various heads of Nightingale-Bamford School from its founding to present, as well as photographs, clippings, and biographical records with the head of school as subject. Records include correspondence and announcements, memoranda, reports from the heads of school to the Board of Trustees, speeches given by heads of school, and related records created and received in the course of business as well as records...
Dates: c. 1995 - 2004

Photograph of Chloe Polemis '99 and dad with Joan McMenamin on first day of school, 1987

 Item — Box: 06013
Identifier: 006 005 000 14 0115
Scope and Contents From the Sub-Group: Heads of School records consist of records created by or under the purview of the various heads of Nightingale-Bamford School from its founding to present, as well as photographs, clippings, and biographical records with the head of school as subject. Records include correspondence and announcements, memoranda, reports from the heads of school to the Board of Trustees, speeches given by heads of school, and related records created and received in the course of business as well as records...
Dates: 1987

Photograph of Dorothy Hutcheson and Joan McMenamin standing next to each other, c. 2000 - 2004

 Item — Box: 06006
Identifier: 006 006 000 06 0018
Scope and Contents From the Sub-Group: Heads of School records consist of records created by or under the purview of the various heads of Nightingale-Bamford School from its founding to present, as well as photographs, clippings, and biographical records with the head of school as subject. Records include correspondence and announcements, memoranda, reports from the heads of school to the Board of Trustees, speeches given by heads of school, and related records created and received in the course of business as well as records...
Dates: c. 2000 - 2004

Photograph of Elizabeth Weilbaches, Mrs. McMenamin, and Susan Dryfoos '65 (of The New York Times, Keynote speaker, school president in 1965) at Career Day [title from caption], 1986

 Item — Box: 06013
Identifier: 006 005 000 14 0116
Scope and Contents From the Sub-Group: Heads of School records consist of records created by or under the purview of the various heads of Nightingale-Bamford School from its founding to present, as well as photographs, clippings, and biographical records with the head of school as subject. Records include correspondence and announcements, memoranda, reports from the heads of school to the Board of Trustees, speeches given by heads of school, and related records created and received in the course of business as well as records...
Dates: 1986

Photograph of faculty, administration, and Mrs. McMenamin, 1989

 Item — Box: 06016
Identifier: 006 005 000 14 0154
Scope and Contents From the Sub-Group: Heads of School records consist of records created by or under the purview of the various heads of Nightingale-Bamford School from its founding to present, as well as photographs, clippings, and biographical records with the head of school as subject. Records include correspondence and announcements, memoranda, reports from the heads of school to the Board of Trustees, speeches given by heads of school, and related records created and received in the course of business as well as records...
Dates: 1989

Photograph of faculty groups, JSM [Joan Stitt McMenamin], and Mrs. Woodbridge, 1965

 Item — Box: 06016
Identifier: 006 005 000 14 0142
Scope and Contents From the Sub-Group: Heads of School records consist of records created by or under the purview of the various heads of Nightingale-Bamford School from its founding to present, as well as photographs, clippings, and biographical records with the head of school as subject. Records include correspondence and announcements, memoranda, reports from the heads of school to the Board of Trustees, speeches given by heads of school, and related records created and received in the course of business as well as records...
Dates: 1965

Photograph of fiftieth reunion of Class of 1931. Names on verso, 1981

 Item — Box: 04010
Identifier: 004 001 000 30 0074
Scope and Contents From the Series: This sub-group includes photographs of alumnae taken at events organized by the Institutional Advancement department and/or the Alumnae Association. Events represented include alumnae reunions and receptions in New York and elsewhere, informal reunions organized by alumnae, and educational lectures for alumnae. Nightingale faculty and staff, particularly Institutional Advancement department staff members, Heads of School, and Trustees may be included in photographs. Alumnae may also be...
Dates: 1981

Photograph of Headmistress Mrs. J. McMenamin on her birthday, 1980 May 7

 Item — Box: 06016
Identifier: 006 005 000 14 0145
Scope and Contents From the Sub-Group: Heads of School records consist of records created by or under the purview of the various heads of Nightingale-Bamford School from its founding to present, as well as photographs, clippings, and biographical records with the head of school as subject. Records include correspondence and announcements, memoranda, reports from the heads of school to the Board of Trustees, speeches given by heads of school, and related records created and received in the course of business as well as records...
Dates: 1980 May 7

Photograph of Headmistress Mrs McMenamin / Katrina Thomas, c. 1971 - 1992

 Item — Box: 06013
Identifier: 006 005 000 14 0112
Scope and Contents From the Sub-Group: Heads of School records consist of records created by or under the purview of the various heads of Nightingale-Bamford School from its founding to present, as well as photographs, clippings, and biographical records with the head of school as subject. Records include correspondence and announcements, memoranda, reports from the heads of school to the Board of Trustees, speeches given by heads of school, and related records created and received in the course of business as well as records...
Dates: c. 1971 - 1992

Additional filters:

Type
Archival Object 559
Collection 1
 
Subject
black-and-white photographs 206
correspondence 172
faculty (educators) and staff 84
The Nightingale-Bamford School--Alumnae 58
commencements 45
∨ more
special events 44
memoranda 37
school buildings 36
fund raising 35
speeches (documents) 35
color photographs 32
parents 30
biography files 29
board of trustees 29
awards 28
assemblies 25
lecturers 24
reports 24
gifts 23
school reunions 22
Funds and scholarships 21
clippings (information artifacts) 20
negatives (photographs) 20
invitations 17
alumnae events 14
school history 13
music 12
memorial service 10
Parents Association 8
curricula 8
financial records 8
notes (documents) 8
Nightingale-Bamford School Alumnae Association 7
institutional advancement 7
libraries 7
travel 7
Education--Aims and objectives 6
NYSAIS 6
arts (broad discipline) 6
contact sheets 6
realia 6
books 5
programs (documents) 5
serials (publications) 5
Alumnae Board 4
Class of 1989 4
certificates 4
newsletters 4
oral histories (literary works) 4
student exchange programs 4
student projects 4
Christmas 3
Class of 1948 3
Class of 1980 3
Class of 1981 3
Class of 1992 3
Class of 2000 3
Fair 3
Single-sex classes (Education) 3
anniversaries 3
athletics 3
greeting cards 3
gymnasiums 3
mathematics 3
performing arts (discipline) 3
playgrounds 3
tuition 3
video recordings 3
Class of 1931 2
Class of 1962 2
Class of 1975 2
Class of 1976 2
Class of 1985 2
Class of 1986 2
Class of 1990 2
Glee clubs / Chorale 2
Kindergarten 2
Morning Meeting (formerly Prayers) 2
admissions 2
banners 2
calendars 2
class photographs 2
classrooms 2
community engagement 2
forms (documents) 2
health 2
minutes (administrative records) 2
poetry 2
schedules (time plans) 2
technology 2
theater arts 2
visitors' books 2
Academic Affairs Committee 1
Class of 1925 1
Class of 1939 1
Class of 1947 1
Class of 1949 1
Class of 1950 1
Class of 1951 1
Class of 1956 1
∧ less