Helen Hale Tuck, from the 1921 yearbook of Howard University
Born
1894
Oberlin, Ohio
Died
September 6, 1957
New York City
Other names
Helen Cohron
Occupation(s)
Educator, college dean
Helen Hale TuckCohron (1894 – September 6, 1957) was an American educator, clubwoman, and college dean. She was acting Dean of Women at
Howard University from 1919 to 1922, and an active clubwoman in
Harlem in the 1930s and 1940s.
Early life and education
Tuck was born in
Oberlin, Ohio, the daughter of Henson C. Tuck and Ella C. Hale Tuck. Both her parents were born in Ohio; her father, a local businessman, was involved in the
Niagara Movement and local politics.[1][2] She graduated from
Oberlin High School in 1912.[3] She earned a bachelor's degree and a teaching certificate in physical education at
Oberlin College in 1917.[4] She later earned a master's degree in education at
Columbia University.[5]
Career
Tuck moved to
Louisville then to Washington, D.C., to be Girl Work Secretary of the War Work Council of the
YWCA during
World War I.[6][7] She taught physical education courses at Howard University from 1918[8] and was acting Dean of Women[9][10] from 1919[11] until 1922, when she resigned to marry, and was succeeded by
Lucy Diggs Slowe.[12] She also taught at
Miner Teachers College.[5]
Tuck was a
clubwoman in
Cleveland in the late 1920s,[13][14] then moved to New York City. She served on the board of the
National Urban League, and was active in Utopia Children's House,[15] the Juvenile Welfare Council,[16] the Visiting Nurse Service,[17] and the Harlem branch of the YWCA.[5]