Ione Vargus, the first African American and first woman academic dean at Temple University in Philadelphia, passed away on December 20. She was 95 years old.
Dr. Vargus earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology from Jackson College at Tufts University in Massachusetts, a master’s degree in social service administration from the University of Chicago, and a Ph.D. in social policy and administration from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. After initially serving as a social worker, Dr. Vargus began her academic career teaching at Brandeis University and the University of Illinois.
In 1974, Dr. Vargus began her long tenure at Temple University as a professor and associate dean of the former School of Social Administration. Four years later, she was promoted to dean, making her the university’s first African American and first woman to serve in an academic dean position. She spent 17 years as associate dean and dean before later serving as a presidential fellow and acting vice provost for undergraduate education.
Inspired by her time as a social worker, Dr. Vargus focused her scholarship on how family reunions can enhance identity, self-esteem, and family values. Her research revealed the importance of family reunions in African American culture, leading her to establish the African American Family Reunion Conference in 1988 and Temple’s Family Reunion Institute in 1990. Dr. Vargus was the author of Black Family Reunions: Finding the Rest of Me (Xlibris US, 2020).