The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1951-12-21
Women In
The Nenls
tny 4hs AsseeIntsh Iressl


vSwVVwvwvvw
You certainly can't tell, these
days, what's going to happen next.
Take it from tail. slender, Frances
Elizabeth Willis, counselor of the
American Legislation al delSinN,
Finland. Why She'll tell you---
still a little surprised about the
whole thing-"I never dreamed I'd
be doing anything except school
teaching, when | first started out.
And you'll have to admit it's a
long hop from little Metropolis,
Illinois. to Helsinki, Finland
Yes, Miss Willis is right.-it is
quite a hop. And she's probably too
modest to add that its an equally
long jump from a school marin s
job to a post second only to an am
bassador or MINISTER in Uncle
Sans foreign service.
But that's the story of personable
Frances Willis. She was one Of the
first women TO enter the American
Foreign service field Her first as
signment came in 1927, when she
served as viee-consul in Valparaiso
Chile.
Moving from post 10 post, as do
career diplomaties, she gained pre-
stige and promotion
From Valparaiso Miss Willis
went to Santiago. Chill. then on
TO Stockholm, Brussels. Luvem.
bourg and Madrid.
In 1914. she arrived in Washing
ton. There she served as assistant
chief of the division of western
European affairs In l947 she be-
came first secretary of the
American embassy in London. She
received her present assignment in
February last year
What about discrimination again
st women In the foreign service?
Il seem TO have been Disseminated
for--not against, she says. Every
assignment I've had has been de.
lightful. It's hard to believe I've
been in the service nearly rs
years. "
! miss Willis is especially fond oil
Finland You, really, fall in love
] *itA .iAe country and the people y
| Sie tells rus they aretso sfalwafi
1 and sincere and they maintain their
independence with such sturdy de-
termination, they win your respect
and admiration They are friendly,
too, and show great good will TO
ward the United States.
Miss Willis says that in Finland
educational and cultural STANDARDS
are high. and the women were the
first in Europe TO have the vote
She adds they're active in profeS
sl0nal and political life. and occupy
over one tenth of the seats in the
national parliament. And just t6
show you how the women Of Fin
land are becoming important il
professions which used to be "fol
men only. Miss Willis points out
that over hall OF the dentists are
women a large percentage are
doctors and lawyers. And, she
adds, The BARRIERS are women.
Miss Willis was born in Illinois.
She received her ABB and Phi
degrees from Sanford University
in California She had been 1
history instructor al GOucher Col
/ lege in Baltimore. and an assist
ant professor of political science a
NasSar college before she entered
the foreign service She expects t.
spend Christmas with her famil,
at Redlands, California. which j.
now her legal residence
EDITORIAL WORKER
Mrs Mary Dram is a translator
and editorial worker with tbs
World Health Organization in
Washington nc. She thinks one o.
the fascinating things about her jol
is the way unexpected. and inter
estlng assignments come along.
For instance take the latest one.
travelling around the country with
a group of visiting Brazilian dan
GERS. Mrs. Dram vas educated In
/ Brazil so it was decided that she
was just the one Tor this assign.
ment
She describes il as whirlwind