Mary Ashby Cheek

Mary Ashby Cheek attended Caldwell College from 1898 to 1909. She continued her education at Mount Holyoke, receiving a bachelor's degree in 1913, and then a master's degree in modern history from Columbia University. She was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. After graduating from Columbia University, Cheek served as acedemic dean at Kentucky College for Women for one year and in several positions at Mount Holyoke, before becoming president of Rockford College (Rockford, Ill.) in 1937. Upon retirement in 1954, she returned to live in Danville. Cheek was a member of Centre's Board of Trustees from 1960 to 1966, at which time she was made a trustee emerita. Cheek died April 18, 1988. She had many family ties to Centre. Her great grandfather was one of the original members of the Board of Trustees, her father, John A. Cheek, was treasurer for some 40 years and also served as trustee, and her brother, Francis Powell Cheek, taught religion and Bible at the college for 17 years.