Women - Hunterdon County, New Jersey

ELIZABETH MONROE BOGGS
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1913 to a socially and
intellectually prominent family, it soon became evident that
Elizabeth was a gifted youngster. Her early education laid
great stress on academic achievement. With this excellent
preparation, she went on to Bryn Mawr College where she
was graduated summa cum laude in 1935, with distinction
in mathematics. At that time, American universities were
not encouraging to women of great academic abilities –
especially in her chosen field of theoretical chemistry. She
went on to Cambridge University in England, where she
was the only woman in that program at the time. Although
Cambridge welcomed her, as a woman, she was denied full
membership in the University and not given the same
degree as similarly educated men, an injustice rectified
after the war.
Completing her studies in 1939, and having secured a position at Cornell University,
Elizabeth was asked to stay in England to do secret work on explosives. Europe was at
war, and England needed her scientific training to help with the war effort. This she did.
Many months later, she returned home to the United States and headed for Cornell.
There she shared an office with a graduate student named Fitzhugh Boggs. A fellow
scientist, Fitzhugh had grown up in France and shared Elizabeth’s concern for Europe
at war.
They were married in September 1941 just before the United States entered into the
war. Throughout the World War II both worked on secret projects, which neither could
discuss with the other! Fitzhugh was involved in developing devices to jam German
radar, and Elizabeth was peripherally involved in the Manhattan Project, America’s
successful effort to build an atomic bomb.
Their son David was born in 1945. Unknown to Elizabeth, the joyful birth of this
normal child was to change her life focus forever. As a tiny baby David developed a
severe brain infection. He was treated with penicillin -- a new miracle drug -- and
survived the disease only to be profoundly retarded and multiply handicapped for life.
Turning her talents towards education of the handicapped, Elizabeth founded the
first classes for the “trainable mentally retarded” in 1950 in Essex County, NJ. She also
participated that year in the founding of the national Association for Retarded Citizens –
now known as the ARC. In 1968 she was elected national president of ARC, and
became a resident of Hunterdon County.
Choosing to advocate for people with developmental disabilities and their families,
rather than continue with theoretical chemistry, Elizabeth quickly rose to national
prominence. In 1960, during the Kennedy administration, she was selected to sit on the
President’s panel on mental retardation. Quickly she became a Washington insider,
working with several administrations and with Congress to create legislation for those
with mental retardation and developmental disabilities.
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