The National Women's History Project’s theme for the 2018
Women’s History Month is “Nevertheless, She Persisted: Honoring Women Who Fight
All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.” The National Panhellenic Conference
is spotlighting sorority women who have persisted with courage and conviction in their efforts to
help end discrimination and break down barriers for other women.
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| Brig. Gen. Margaret A. Brewer United States Marine Corps |
The next woman to be highlighted in this blog series is Margaret A. Brewer, an alumna of Zeta
Tau Alpha at the University of Michigan. Brewer was the first female general officer
in the United States Marine Corps.
After her college graduation in 1952, Brewer joined the
Marine Corps, serving at a time when few women were Marines. She
held a variety of roles in the Marine Corps, including rising to the rank of
colonel in 1970 and serving as director of women from 1973-1977.
She then served as deputy director of the information division for the Marine Corps. When she was nominated in 1978 to lead the division, the director position was required to be a general – a role not available to women Marines at that time.
President Jimmy Carter made a special appointment to promote Brewer to brigadier
general and it was approved by both houses of Congress. Under her leadership,
the department was reorganized into the Division of Public
Affairs.
Brewer was honored with the Outstanding Achievement Award
from the University of Michigan in 1979 and two Legion of Merit awards from the
Marine Corps. She received Zeta Tau Alpha’s Outstanding Alumna Award in 1984.
Brewer retired from the Marine Corps in 1980 and passed away
in 2013 at the age of 82. In her obituary in The Washington Post, Brewer is described as “legendary” and “one of
the pioneers.” Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Amos said in a statement to the paper: “She served during an era when many thought that women had no place
in the Corps, but she proved critics wrong time and again.”
Sources: Zeta Tau Alpha, The
Washington Post
