Women of Distinction Awards

Anne Marie Eaton

If ever there was someone who is the living epitome of this year's theme, it is Anne Marie. Leading a Vibrant Life barely scratches the surface of this amazing woman. Anne Marie is without question, Georgia Tech's most senior alumna; she will celebrate her 100th birthday this month. That in itself is remarkable, but what she has done and continues to do every day is even more admirable.

She was born in Mannheim , Germany , in 1907, and clearly recalls experiencing the bombings of World War I and their affect on her family's life. She attended college, earned a degree in commercial art, and then married Paul Eaton, who was an engineer. The couple settled into raising a family but as the political climate changed in Germany , so did their circumstances. The Eatons were outspoken critics of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Regime and were forced to flee the country with three young children. It was difficult to relocate in the turmoil of the late 1930's but somehow they managed and ended up in New York City in August of 1939. At the time, the only thing they knew about the United States was what they read in the book Gone with the Wind .

The family moved to Atlanta where Paul was able to find work at Atlantic Steel. In 1942, Paul read an ad in the newspaper about classes at Georgia Tech. The shortage of manpower due to World War II opened special opportunities for vocational training and for the first time ever, allowed women to come to Georgia Tech. Anne Marie decided to come, and she earned certificates in Engineering Science and Management courses taking 96 credit hours. She went to work as a Job Analyst for Sears Roebuck & Co. and later worked for Lockheed and Rich's. Eventually, Paul was hired by Georgia Tech because of his extensive experience as an engineer. He became a professor in the Industrial Engineering department, and Anne Marie became a faculty wife. In the 1970s, Anne Marie went to Georgia State University and earned a Masters degree in Gerontology; in the 1990's she again attended Tech taking many courses in the School of Psychology . One of her few regrets is that she didn't stay on to pursue a doctorate. She recently remarked that she still would consider it if transportation were easier.

Anne Marie is the co-founder of the Life Enrichment Services, Inc., an educational organization for people over 50 years of age. She is a social gerontologist who is continually involved in research on aging, a subject she is uniquely qualified to study, and is an active member of the Georgia Gerontological Society. She is the author of six books plus several long opinion pieces, some directed at physicians on ways to treat the aged. Anne Marie is also a Tech Parent, and more recently, she became a Tech grandparent when one of her great-grandsons graduated in May 2006. After Paul passed away, Anne Marie continued her relationship with Tech. She has been a member of the Georgia Tech Faculty Wives for many years, has supported Roll Call for 33 years, and is an avid Yellow Jacket fan.

Anne Marie Eaton is a role model for everyone. In a society that seems to only becoming aware of the issues of an aging population, she is a stellar example of growing old gracefully. Anne Marie takes aerobics class three times a week and walks a mile a day. She is opinionated, feisty, independent, intelligent, and involved—all that at one hundred years of age! She has most definitely led and continues to live a vibrant life.