Marjorie Starr Day

Day, Marjorie Starr
April 25, 1922 - December 7,2010
Marjorie was born in Santa Monica, California to Helen and Elmer Starr. At the age of six, Marjorie lost her father in a plane crash and her mother became a beautician to support Marjorie and her 10 year old brother, Leroy.
Upon graduation from Santa Monica High School, Marjorie worked as a secretary at McDonell-Douglas where she met her future husband, Bill Day. "He liked her legs" and they were married on May 5, 1946. Their son, Dennis, was born in 1951.
Marjorie completed her BA degree and Teaching Credential at UCLA in 1961, subsequently teaching Special Education in Santa Monica. She pursued her MA and PhD at UCLA while teaching fulltime and received the Phi Beta Kappa Distinguished Research Award for her dissertation in 1971.
Marjorie was appointed Assistant Dean of the UCLA Graduate School of Education in 1978, ensuring academic excellence for degree and credential programs throughout her tenure. She served as liaison to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing and as President of the Board of Governors of the UCLA Faculty Center.
She developed and coordinated the first Special Education credential program for UCLA Education Extension in collaboration with the Los Angeles Unified School District. She continued to develop outstanding Elementary and Secondary credential programs for UCLA and UC Riverside Extensions after she retired in 1988.
A true role model of elegance, professionalism and academic excellence for countless teachers, administrators, and faculty, Marjorie was respected and admired by colleagues in school districts, local and state government agencies, and the UCLA community.
She is predeceased by her husband, Bill, and survived by her son, Dennis, and his wife, Irene.