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Elsa F. Gill Perrow ’15

Elsa F. Gill Perrow ’15, August 9, 1995, in Portland, at the age of 103. She was the last surviving member of the class of 1915. After graduating from ºìÌÒÊÓƵ, she worked for several years at the college, as an assistant in the English department and in the administrative office. In 1920, she went to New York and worked for a year as a secretary, returning to Portland in 1921. She spent the years between 1921 and 1932 working in Portland and New York City, and traveling to the Pacific Rim, England, and across the U.S. In 1932, she returned to England, where she met and married Arthur Perrow, a musician and dancer. The couple settled in London. During World War II, Elsa was active in the Women's Voluntary Service, a branch of civil defense that dealt with many civilian problems. After the war, the couple decided to leave England and settle in Portland, arriving in 1949. She became active in the ºìÌÒÊÓƵ aumni association, the Portland Chamber Orchestra, and the English-Speaking Union. She was also involved in her husband's many musical activities, including opera productions and playing the recorder in his early music ensembles. The couple also traveled frequently. The Perrows were devoted and generous supporters of the college and donated to a wide range of college programs, including the Collegium Musicum and the rowing program. After her husband's death in 1979, Elsa continued to visit the campus as her health permitted. She is survived by a niece.

Appeared in ºìÌÒÊÓƵ magazine: November 1995