Draft:Jennie Alma Whitten

Jennie Alma Whitten (January 3, 1894- April 26, 1989) was an American Professor of Foreign Languages.

Early life
Whitten was born on January 3, 1894 in La Prairie Center, Illinois to Charles Whitten, the principal of the Dekalb Township High School and Henrietta Leigh Whitten. At 4 years old, she was enrolled in the Model School, now known as the Metcalf School, which is where her association to Illinois State Normal University, now known as Illinois State University, began. In 1913, she received her teaching diploma from the Northern Illinois State Normal School, now known as Northern Illinois University. She also got her bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and her doctorate degree from the University of Wisconsin. From 1918-1919, she taught Spanish at Champaign High School.

Life at Illinois State Normal University
In 1919, President David Felmley of Illinois State Normal University hired Dr. Jennie Whitten to teach Spanish. She was a professor of foreign languages from 1919-1959, and in 1933, she became the first head of the Foreign Languages Department. She remained at ISNU until her retirement with the exception of two years of study abroad in Southern France at the University of Grenoble and one teaching at the North Carolina Women’s College, now known as the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. In addition to Spanish, Whitten also taught French, German, and Russian. During her time at ISNU, she served on several committees including the introduction of graduate degree programs in the 1940s and classes for the Navy V-12 program during World War ll. Along with Wanda Neiswanger, fellow faculty member, she helped write the University’s alma mater in 1926 and the University Hymn is still sung at formal campus events today.

Life outside of ISNU
Whitten also took part in many activities outside of teaching at ISNU. She was a member of the Unitarian Church in Bloomington, a secretary of the church board for six years and president of the board for two years. She was the editor of the Church Parish News for six years. Whitten was also a member of the Brokaw Service League, the McLean County Historical Society, the McLean County Annuitants Association and the P.E.O. chapter of FM U.N.A. - USA.

Death
Whitten retired from ISNU in 1959. She died at 95 years old on Wednesday, April 26, 1989 at the Martin Health Care Center in Bloomington where she was a resident. Her funeral was held at the Unitarian Church in Bloomington, Illinois.

Legacy
After her retirement, in 1960, ISNU honored her and named one of their newly constructed residence halls on South Campus after her, called Whitten Residence Hall.