Neva Egan
Encyclopedia
Desdia Neva Egan was an American
educator who served as the first First Lady
of Alaska
from the state's creation in 1959 to 1966, and again from 1970 to 1974. Egan was the wife of the state of Alaska's first governor, William Allen Egan
, and the mother of former Juneau Mayor and Alaska State Senator
Dennis Egan
.
. She was the third of five children born to Joseph Leland McKittrick and Martha Desdia Alderson McKittrick. McKittrick worked at her family's grocery store to earn the tuition money to attend Kansas State College. She then transferred to the University of Wyoming
, where her aunt
was a faculty member, in Laramie, Wyoming
.
McKittrick began her career teaching music in a public school in Glenrock, Wyoming
, for two years. She was paid a salary of $1,000 USD annually. She moved to the Territory of Alaska from Wyoming
in 1937. McKittrick sailed to Alaska onboard a steamship called the Teachers Special, which brought teachers to Alaska to work in the territory during the winter. McKittrick moved to Valdez, Alaska
, where she became one of just three new teachers hired for the Valdez school district that year for a one-year teaching assignment. She taught fourth through sixth grader, as well as music, in the Valdez public school system.
McKittrick soon met her future husband, William Allen Egan, in Valdez, and the couple married on November 16, 1940. William Egan was also elected to the Alaska Territorial House of Representatives in 1940. William and Neva also operated a small grocery store, the Valdez Supply.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
educator who served as the first First Lady
First Lady
First Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime...
of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
from the state's creation in 1959 to 1966, and again from 1970 to 1974. Egan was the wife of the state of Alaska's first governor, William Allen Egan
William Allen Egan
William Allen Egan was an American Democratic politician. He served as the first Governor of the State of Alaska from January 3, 1959 to 1966, and the fourth Governor from 1970 to 1974...
, and the mother of former Juneau Mayor and Alaska State Senator
Alaska Senate
The Alaska Senate is the upper house in the Alaska Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alaska. The Senate consists of twenty members, each of whom represents an equal amount of districts with populations of about 31,347 people . Senators serve four-year terms, without term...
Dennis Egan
Dennis Egan
Dennis William Egan is a member of the Alaska Senate, representing Juneau, Alaska. He previously served as its mayor from February 13, 1995, to October 3, 2000 and was a member of the local assembly...
.
Early life
Egan was born Desdia Neva McKittrick on October 3, 1914, in Wilson, KansasWilson, Kansas
Wilson is a city in Ellsworth County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 781.-History:The Butterfield Overland Despatch built a stagecoach station one-half mile south of present-day Wilson in 1865. Three years later, the Kansas Pacific Railway built Wilson...
. She was the third of five children born to Joseph Leland McKittrick and Martha Desdia Alderson McKittrick. McKittrick worked at her family's grocery store to earn the tuition money to attend Kansas State College. She then transferred to the University of Wyoming
University of Wyoming
The University of Wyoming is a land-grant university located in Laramie, Wyoming, situated on Wyoming's high Laramie Plains, at an elevation of 7,200 feet , between the Laramie and Snowy Range mountains. It is known as UW to people close to the university...
, where her aunt
Aunt
An aunt is a person who is the sister or sister-in-law of a parent. A man with an equivalent relationship is an uncle, and the reciprocal relationship is that of a nephew or niece....
was a faculty member, in Laramie, Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming
Laramie is a city in and the county seat of Albany County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 30,816 at the . Located on the Laramie River in southeastern Wyoming, the city is west of Cheyenne, at the junction of Interstate 80 and U.S. Route 287....
.
McKittrick began her career teaching music in a public school in Glenrock, Wyoming
Glenrock, Wyoming
Glenrock is a town in Converse County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 2,231 at the 2000 census.Glenrock, known as Deer Creek Station, had its beginning as a mail and stage station along the Oregon Trail. The station served as a relay and eating place and was a vital supply point for...
, for two years. She was paid a salary of $1,000 USD annually. She moved to the Territory of Alaska from Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
in 1937. McKittrick sailed to Alaska onboard a steamship called the Teachers Special, which brought teachers to Alaska to work in the territory during the winter. McKittrick moved to Valdez, Alaska
Valdez, Alaska
Valdez is a city in Valdez-Cordova Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 4,020. The city is one of the most important ports in Alaska. The port of Valdez was named in 1790 after the Spanish naval officer Antonio Valdés y...
, where she became one of just three new teachers hired for the Valdez school district that year for a one-year teaching assignment. She taught fourth through sixth grader, as well as music, in the Valdez public school system.
McKittrick soon met her future husband, William Allen Egan, in Valdez, and the couple married on November 16, 1940. William Egan was also elected to the Alaska Territorial House of Representatives in 1940. William and Neva also operated a small grocery store, the Valdez Supply.