In Memoriam: Anna Pirscenok Herz, 1922-2013

Anna P. Herz, the first woman to be named a full professor and department chair at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, died at her home in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. She was 91 years old.

A native of Bethlehem, she was a registered nurse and worked in the Army Nurse Corps during World War II. After the war she earned a bachelor’s degree and a Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in education from Columbia University.

At Lehigh University, she taught Slavic and Eastern European languages. In 1971, she became the first woman in university history to be named chair of an academic department.

“Anna Herz was a role model and mentor to many, even in her retirement,” said current Lehigh University President Alice Gast. “I enjoyed talking to her and learning from her experiences; she made us all strive for cultural understanding and international harmony.”