Woman of the World : Mary McGeachy and International Cooperation

Mary McGeachy (1901–91) navigated the gender conventions of the twentieth century. Born a gospel preacher's daughter in small-town Ontario, she served in the League of Nations Secretariat in the 1930s and was employed by the British Ministry of Economic Warfare during World War II. In October 1942, she became the first woman to be given British diplomatic rank, and in 1944 was made Director of Welfare for the newly established United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration, the only woman in an executive position. Later she served as president of the International Council of Women, an organization promoting women's rights and welfare. In Woman of the World , Mary Kinnear interprets McGreachy's international experiences through the lens of gender. As a Canadian with a commitment to international cooperation, her story is an important one. Building on archives from three continents, Kinnear's acute character study illuminates – at the individual level – important aspects of twentieth-century politics and society. Kinnear's biography also serves as an important contribution to political history, international relations, gender studies, and women's history. It retrieves from obscurity a woman who enjoyed contemporary celebrity because of her achievements in a man's world. "Mary McGeachy (1901-91) navigated her life and ambitions through the gender conventions of the twentieth century. Born a gospel preacher's daughter in small-town Ontario, she served in the League of Nations Secretariat in the 1930s and was employed by the British Ministry of Economic Warfare during the Second World War. In October 1942, she became the first woman to be given British diplomatic rank, and in 1944, was made Director of Welfare for the newly established United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration, the only woman in an executive position. Later she served as president of the International Council of Women, an organization promoting women's rights and welfare. In Woman of the World, Mary Kinnear interprets McGeachy's international experiences through the lens of gender. Building on archives from three continents, Kinnear's acute character study illuminates important aspects of twentieth-century politics and society. This biography also serves as a contribution to the study of international relations, gender studies, and women's history. It retrieves from obscurity a woman who enjoyed contemporary celebrity because of her achievements in a man's world."--Résumé de l'éditeur Contents 5 Acknowledgments 7 Prologue: 1940 11 1. Sarnia 22 2. Student Days 37 3. Geneva 60 4. Visitor from Geneva 88 5. Economic Warfare 111 6. Erwin Schuller 136 7. UNRRA 157 8. Family Affairs 187 9. The International Council of Women 218 10. Religion and Recognition 243 Epilogue 260 Notes 270 Bibliography 314 Illustration Credits 326 Index 328