Mimi Milner Elrod, longtime administrator at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, passed away on March 25. She was 81 years old.
Before her career in higher education, Dr. Elrod taught junior high school in New York. In 1984, she and her husband John Elrod moved to Lexington, where he became dean of the College at W&L. Two years after his appointment, Dr. Elrod began her career with W&L as a member of the Office of Admissions. By 1990, she had transitioned to the Office of Special Programs as assistant director and became associate director one year later. In this role, she directed the Summer Scholars program.
In 1995, Dr. Elrod became the first lady of W&L as John Elrod was named the university’s twenty-second president. Alongside her new responsibilities, she maintained her role as associate director of special programs. During this time, she became a child and family development consultant and conducted research on developmental psychology. Although John passed away in 2001, she continued to work at W&L until 2009.
In addition to her educational endeavors, Dr. Elrod had a second career in local politics. She served on Lexington’s City Council for several years before making history in 2008 as Lexington’s first woman mayor. She served in that capacity until 2016, overseeing numerous infrastructure improvements and educational initiatives.
A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. Elrod received her bachelor’s degree from Oglethorpe University. She held a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in early childhood development from Iowa State University.