by daughter Deborah Campos
The Japanese have a title for a person who has excelled as a practitioner and teacher in her artistic and artisanal fields – she is called “Sensei” which has the sense of “National Treasure”. One can argue whether the study and teaching of language is as much an art as a science, but our own Maria Wilmeth deserves that title for Italian language education more than anyone in the Washington area and probably as much as anyone in the US.
Dr. Maria Guarrera Wilmeth was born in Nicosia, Sicily, and grew up in Caserta, Italy where she attended public schools. A “war bride”, she married a US military officer, CPT Elwood E. Wilmeth, in 1947, became a US citizen, and spent the early part of her marriage on assignment in different parts of the world, including two years in Japan and five years in Paris, while raising their three children, Eric, Deborah and Michelle. She received the Doctorate in Romance Languages, with a Major in French, and Minors in Italian, Spanish and English, from the Istituto Universitario Orientale, University of Naples and the Sorbonne University in France.
Inspired by her father, Prof. Vincenzo Guarrera, she entered into the world of education with a passion and dedication that would ultimately define her illustrious career. Upon her arrival to the Metro D.C. Area in 1966, she began teaching languages, which included two years as a teacher of French at Langley High School, and four years as Assistant Professor of Italian at George Washington University. Believing in the benefits of learning a foreign language at an early age, she spearheaded the introduction of foreign languages to younger children as the Curriculum Coordinator in Foreign Language Instruction for the Fairfax County School District (1974-1991), the 11th largest school system in the US. In this capacity, she supervised 365 teachers of nine foreign languages and other specialized instruction programs, and was instrumental in the implementation of six Partial Immersion Programs in grades K-6: two in French, two in Japanese and two in Spanish. While working in that position, she received her Ph.D. in Theoretical and Applied Linguistics from Georgetown University. Upon retirement from Fairfax County Public Schools, she accepted a position as Program Manager of Foreign Languages and ESL Program at the Graduate School, USDA. She managed programs in 28 foreign languages, and ESL courses in the Evening Program Division from 1991 to 2003.
From 1974 to 2008 Dr. Wilmeth served as Director of the Italian Language Program sponsored by the Italian Cultural Society of Washington, DC, where she designed and implemented the children and adult program, hired instructors, and selected textbooks. She envisioned the Italian Language Program as an organization that would provide an educational service to the Italian community in collaboration with the Education Office of the Embassy of Italy, and would serve as a welcoming venue for Americans wishing to learn the Italian language and culture in the Washington Metropolitan area. She established a role for the Italian Cultural Society as an “Ente Gestore” to manage Italian Embassy efforts in placing teachers of Italian in local schools and educating children of Italians planning to return to Italy. Additionally, in cooperation with George Mason University and thanks to grants from the Italian Government, she designed, managed and conducted workshops to provide certification credits to teachers of Italian in the U.S. She was responsible for three recent grants of $134,000, $175,000 and $199,930 to ICS from the National Endowment for the Humanities, for co-directing, together with Prof. Roberto Severino of Georgetown University, a summer Institute entitled: “The Art of Teaching Italian through Italian Art,” in Rome, Italy. She also co-authored two foreign language texts: “Exploring Foreign Languages“ and its Teacher Guide. She was an active member of the Board of Trustees and Acting President for three months of the American University of Rome, Italy; active Board Member and President for two terms of ICS; Founder and first President of the “American Association of Teachers of Italian” (AATI), DC Chapter.
Through her last creation, CoPILAS (the National Council for the Promotion of Italian Language in American Schools), she assembled a team of “experts” in American schools that had been in a position to get Italian included as a foreign language in the Maryland State Department of Education, opening the way for other foreign languages that copied the structure established by her for Italian. Thanks to the volunteer work and farsightedness of Maria Wilmeth, a special document entitled “White Papers” was accepted by the Maryland State Department of Education. This document permitted those who proved that they were in possession of an Italian college degree to use this degree to teach Italian in U.S. secondary schools. In the summer of 2008 the Maryland State Department of Education, recognizing her merits, nominated her Member Emerita with Special Functions, a title that has never been bestowed before on an Italian or person of Italian origin. National CoPILAS awarded Maria Permanent Directorship and Emeritus status for her unparalleled accomplishments with the organization.
Maria’s honors include: “Florence Steiner Award: Leadership in Foreign Language Secondary Education” from the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL); the “Gold Medal for Leadership” from Italy’s Ministry of Education, “Commendatore dell’Ordine della Solidarieta’ Italiana” and “Cavaliere dell’Ordine della Repubblica Italiana” from the Italian Government; and “Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Palmes Academiques” from the Government of France; the “Marshall Green Award for Outstanding Leadership” from the Japanese American Society of DC.
PUBLICATIONS AND CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
- Co-authored: “Exploring Languages” a Student Text and a Teacher’s Guide.
- Co-authored, supervised preparation and edited the following school system publications:
- “Introduction to Foreign Language” (IFL) , Student texts (French, German, Spanish).
- “Introduction to Foreign Languages”(IFL), A Teachers Guide (French, German, Spanish).
- “Speak Up!” Encouraging Oral Proficiency in the Foreign Language Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide.
- “Foreign Language Enrichment Program for Gifted and Talented Students” Curriculum Guides for French I, II, III; German I, II, III; Latin I, II; Spanish I, II, III.
- “Foreign Language Achievement Tests: Strategies for Improvement” – A Teacher’s Guide.
- “Careers and Foreign Languages”, A Teacher’s Guide.
- “Strategies for the Foreign Language Classroom” A Teacher’s Guide (in French, German, Latin, Russian and Spanish).
- “Foreign Language Program of Studies” (POS) (for Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Russian, Spanish, and Sign Language).
People wishing to make donations to the Maria Guarrera Wilmeth Scholarship fund in Maria’s memory may do so by clicking here for more information. These scholarships given annually by the Society benefit deserving high school students of Italian language.
“Maria Wilmeth, Goddess of the Impossibile”, by Olga Mancuso
It had been a few days earlier that she stopped eating. She was ready for another adventure. Several times, during our chats, after the heart attack that had changed her quality of life, she was discouraged. “Of what use am I?” she would lament, “I am no good for anything anymore.” That inactivity weighed on her more than anything else. To understand just how much the idleness cost her, one must review the important stages of her life. First an Italian university degree in the post-war period, then a degree in French language and literature from the Sorbonne, and later a doctorate from Georgetown University. She had been coordinator of foreign languages in the Fairfax County Virginia schools, director of the school of continuing education of the USDA, Trustee and Secretary of the board of the Foundation of the American University of Rome (and interim President of the board for three months), director (for a good 26 years) of the Italian Language Program of the Italian Cultural Society of Washington DC. She had been responsible for the creation of the “Ente Gestore” of the Italian Cultural Society and that of Casa Italiana together with other notable persons of the Washington DC Italian community.
She was co-author of a textbook for middle schools ”Teaching Foreign Languages”, included in her “Guide for Teachers”. Through her last creation, CoPILAS, she had put together a formidable team of “technicians” of American education that had been in a position to get Italian included as a foreign language in the Maryland State Department of Education, opening the way for other foreign languages that copied the structure established by her for Italian. Thanks to the volunteer work and farsightedness of Maria Wilmeth , a special document entitled “White Papers” was accepted by the Maryland State Department of Education. This document permitted those who proved that they were in possession of an Italian college degree to use this degree to teach Italian in American secondary schools. The Italo-American community was very dear to her heart with the various non-profit organizations she supported through her membership and through volunteer activity when the occasion presented itself.
In the summer of 2008 the Maryland State Department of Education, recognizing her merits, nominated her member emerita, with special functions, a title that never had been bestowed before then on an Italian or person of Italian origin.
Maria Wilmeth had the gift of knowing how to plan and attack a “task”. To those around her concerned about not having enough funds for a particular project she would reply, fearless, that funds “were not a problem….they could be found” and when they could not be found, she supplied her own money!, not because Maria had a well to draw from without a problem, but because “the cause” was just and, one way or another, the obstacles could be overcome. She was generous even to excess. She offered her help to all without asking for anything in return. She was always ready to help and…..to forgive. Because even Maria was not immune from undeserved jealousies. She was great, but not proud. For her the success of a project was more important than any personal gratification. She always said that things had been done not by her alone, even if in truth Maria, our Maria, had contributed 90% of the work effort . She was happy to share credit for success with others, without ever making claims. It is not possible to remember Maria Wilmeth without eneumerating the schools in which Italian is now taught. It is not possible to honor her memory without recognizing the contribution of success left by her: Italian curriculum courses in the three counties in the metropolitan area, in 17 high schools and many middle schools.
Maria Wilmeth was born on June 16, 1924. As a child she moved to Caserta with her father, a high school professor. She enrolled in medicine, but when World War II brought the Allies to Italy Maria met her future husband and left medicine to move first to the United States, and then to the places where her husband’s career would take her — first, to New York, then Texas, then to Missouri, where her oldest son, Eric, was born, and then first to California, and later to Japan, where Deborah and Michelle were born, and finally to Virginia, where she remained until last December 18.
With the passing of Maria Guarrera Wilmeth there closes a page in the history of the Italian community of Washington, DC. The Wilmeth family has lost its compass. We Italians of Washington have lost an irreplaceable champion of our cultural heritage.
with great respect,
Olga Mancuso
“Maria Wilmeth, la dea dell’ impossibile” di Olga Mancuso
Da alcuni giorni aveva smesso di alimentarsi. Era pronta ad un’altra avventura. Più volte, durante le nostre chiacchierate, dopo l’infarto che le aveva cambiato la qualità di vita, era scoraggiata. “A che servo?” si lamentava… “non sono più buona a nulla”. Quella inattività più di ogni altra cosa le pesava. Per capire quanto le costasse l’inoperosità, occorre passare in rassegna le tappe importanti della sua vita. Alla laurea italiana del dopoguerra, era seguita una laurea in lingua e letteratura francese dalla Sorbona e un dottorato dalla Georgetown University. Era stata coordinatrice delle lingue straniere per la Fairfax County in Virginia, direttrice della scuola Continuing Education presso la USDA, Trustee e Segretaria del Consiglio della Fondazione dell’American University di Roma (e Presidente ad interim per 3 mesi); direttore (per ben 26 anni) del programma di italiano presso la Italian Cultural Society di Washington, DC. Era stata responsabile della creazione dell’Ente Gestore dell’Italian Cultural Society e dell’Ente Gestore di Casa Italiana, insieme ad altri grandi della comunità italiana di Washington, DC.
Era coautrice di un libro di testo per le scuole medie “Teaching Foreign Languages” integrato dalla sua “Guida per l’Insegnante”. Tramite l’ultima sua creazione, il CoPILAS, aveva messo insieme una squadra formidabile di “tecnici” della scuola Americana che era stata in grado di inserire l’italiano come lingua straniera nel Maryland State Department of Education, aprendo la via ad altre lingue straniere che copiarono la struttura da lei impiantata per l’italiano. Grazie al lavoro di volontariato di Maria Wilmeth e alla sua lungimiranza, un documento speciale intitolato “White Papers” venne accettato dal Maryland State Department of Education. Questo documento permise a coloro che dimostravano di essere in possesso di una laurea italiana, di potere usare questo titolo di studio per insegnare l’italiano presso le scuole secondarie americane. La comunità italo-americana le stava molto a cuore con le varie organizzazioni “non profit” che sosteneva tramite l’iscrizione e prestando volontariato ogniqualvolta si presentasse l’occasione.
Nell’estate del 2008, il Maryland State Department of Education riconoscendone le doti, la nominò membro emerito con speciali funzioni. Un titolo che non era mai stato insignito prima di allora ad un italiano o oriundo italiano.
Maria Wilmeth aveva il dono di sapere come pianificare e affrontare un “task”. A coloro che la circondavano preoccupati di non avere i fondi necessari per un determinato progetto lei replicava imperterrita che i soldi “non erano un problema… si sarebbero trovati” e quando non si trovavano ce li metteva lei! Non perchè Maria avesse un pozzo dal quale attingere senza problemi, ma perchè “la causa” era giusta e in qualche modo alla fine si sarebbero superati gli ostacoli. Era generosa fino all’eccesso. Offriva il suo aiuto a tutti senza chiedere ricompensa alcuna. Era sempre pronta ad aiutare e … a perdonare. Perchè anche Maria non era immune a qualche gelosia immeritata. Era grande, ma non era superba. Per lei il successo di un progetto era al di sopra di qualsiasi gratificazione personale. Diceva sempre che le cose erano state fatte non da lei sola, anche se in verità Maria, la nostra Maria, aveva donato il 90 % del tempo e del lavoro. Era felice di condividere il successo con gli altri, senza mai avanzare pretese. Non è possibile ricordare Maria Wilmeth senza annoverare le scuole presso le quali oggi si insegna l’italiano. Non è possible onorarne la memoria senza riconoscere il contributo di successo da lei lasciato: corsi curricolari d’italiano nelle tre contee nella zona metropolitana con circa 17 licei e molte scuole medie.
Maria G. Wilmeth nacque il 16 giugno del ’24 da bambina si trasferì a Caserta con il padre professore agli istituti superiori. Si era iscritta in medicina, ma quando la seconda guerra mondiale portò gli Alleati in Italia, Maria, incontrò il futuro marito e lasciò l’Italia e la medicina per trasferirsi negli Stati Uniti prima e poi nei paesi dove la carriera del marito la portò. Prima New York, poi nel Texas, nel Missouri, dove è nato il figlio maggiore Eric, e in California prima e dopo nel Giappone dove nascono Deborah e Michelle, infine in Virginia, dove rimase fino al 18 dicembre scorso.
Con la scomparsa di Maria Guarrera Wilmeth si chiude una pagina della storia della comunità italiana a Washington, DC. La famiglia Wilmeth ha perso il suo punto cardinale. Noi, italiani di Washington, abbiamo perso una paladina insostituibile del nostro patrimonio culturale.
con grande rispetto,
Olga Mancuso