{"id":59907,"date":"2025-10-13T14:17:02","date_gmt":"2025-10-13T18:17:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/?p=59907"},"modified":"2025-12-15T14:26:10","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T19:26:10","slug":"earle-dorothy-straight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/earle-dorothy-straight\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the Woman Who Was the Driving Force Behind the Straight"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

While the Hill\u2019s beloved student union is named for her late husband, Dorothy Whitney Straight Elmhirst made it happen<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Throughout the 2025\u201326 academic year, the University is celebrating the Straight’s centennial\u2014and <\/em>Cornellians is joining in the festivities with a series of stories (plus a few articles from our backlist)<\/em><\/em>, trivia quizzes, photo features, and more! <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

\"The<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visual quiz<\/a><\/em><\/strong> \u2022 Crossword puzzle<\/a><\/em><\/strong> \u2022 Building history<\/a> <\/strong><\/em>\u2022 Willard Straight 1901<\/em><\/strong> biography<\/em><\/strong><\/a> \u2022 The Stump<\/a> \u2022 Straight Cookies<\/a> \u2022<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0Trivia quiz<\/a><\/em><\/strong>\u00a0\u2022 Willard & Dorothy’s love letters<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Corey Ryan Earle \u201907<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

As Willard Straight Hall celebrates its centennial in 2025, many tributes rightfully celebrate its namesake. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the full story of this beloved campus landmark is that of an exceptional woman\u2014Willard\u2019s widow\u2014who led her own life of adventure, philanthropy, and activism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dorothy Payne Whitney was born into the upper echelon of Gilded Age society in 1887, the daughter of U.S. Secretary of the Navy William Whitney and socialite Flora Payne Whitney.<\/p>\n<\/div>

\"An<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The Whitney patriarch was a cunning politician and businessman who, as NYC\u2019s corporation counsel, fought the Tammany Hall regime. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He played an influential role in Grover Cleveland\u2019s successful 1892 presidential campaign, and had a hand in many of the city\u2019s commercial and banking interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

William and Flora were members of the so-called \u201c400\u201d\u2014a group of NYC society\u2019s wealthiest and most influential families, like the Astors and Vanderbilts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
Dorothy as a child.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\n

Flora reveled in the social events of the time, attending extravagant balls, and, according to one biographer, \u201csponsoring an endless round of entertainments that were ludicrous in size and grandeur.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was the life of luxury in which young Dorothy was immersed\u2014where her parents focused their wealth on themselves more than philanthropic causes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, when Dorothy was 11, her uncle Oliver Hazard Payne played a key role in establishing Cornell\u2019s medical school in NYC, funding its first building and offering to cover any deficit that the school might face in its first five years.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both Dorothy\u2019s parents died before her 18th birthday, making her one of the wealthiest young women in New York society. But it quickly became clear that she would choose a path unlike that of her parents and three older siblings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dorothy donated her used clothing to the poor and volunteered at the Henry Street Settlement, assisting low-income immigrant families. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both Dorothy\u2019s parents died before her 18th birthday, making her one of the wealthiest young women in New York society.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

She cultivated a wide range of hobbies and interests and enrolled in a political economy course at Columbia, particularly unusual for a fashionable woman of her time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As she wrote: \u201cI am filled with that terribly absorbing desire to work, and help, and carry through something which may be useful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

She joined the newly formed Junior League, a group of women who worked to improve conditions in the city\u2019s poverty-stricken areas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She served several terms as president, and in 1921, 29 chapters combined to elect her the first president of what became the Association of Junior Leagues International.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As each new progressive cause\u2014undernourished school children, unsafe working conditions, women\u2019s suffrage\u2014came to her attention, Dorothy became a supporter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She made donations to the Consumers\u2019 League, Red Cross, and State Charities Aid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n<\/div>

\"Willard
With Willard after their marriage.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When she heard an orphan girl would be incarcerated, she obtained custody and found her a job. Gossip columns called her \u201cradical,\u201d and her family considered her an enigma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a society heiress, Dorothy had no shortage of accomplished suitors, but she remained unattached. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

I am filled with that terribly absorbing desire to work, and help, and carry through something which may be useful.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

However, her path began to intersect with Willard Straight, a man seven years her senior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the time, Willard was acting head of the Far East Bureau of the U.S. State Department. Born into modest means, he was unlike most of Dorothy\u2019s admirers, but he was confident, ambitious, and charming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"image
One of Willard’s love letters to Dorothy, whom he often addressed as “Princesse.”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On a world tour, Dorothy spent two weeks in China hosted by Willard, where a romantic spark was lit. They began an extensive and affectionate correspondence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After several months, Willard wrote that he was \u201ccrossing half the world\u201d to see her, reaching her in Milan to propose in May 1910.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Dorothy wasn\u2019t quite ready, and her friends and family were skeptical of Willard and his intentions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gossip columns called her ‘radical,’ and her family considered her an enigma.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

(It didn\u2019t help that he\u2019d had previous romances with two other wealthy heiresses.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Willard continued his efforts for a year, and Dorothy accepted his proposal in June 1911; the two wed that September, less than two years after their romance bloomed in China.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Willard
With their first child, Whitney.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\n

Marriage didn\u2019t slow down Dorothy\u2019s incredible breadth of philanthropic and volunteer activity. She and her husband helped launch the New Republic <\/em>magazine, which continues today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Willard enlisted in the Army during World War I, Dorothy dedicated her time to organizations like the Women\u2019s Liberty Loan Committee, the Young Men\u2019s Christian Association, and the Red Cross.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She chaired the Mayor\u2019s Committee of Women on National Defense, organizing community kitchen volunteers, thrift savings campaigns, and recreation programs for soldiers.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(After the war, she chaired the Women\u2019s Emergency Committee of the European Relief Council to aid children and refugees, lobbied for Indigenous rights of the Pueblo peoples, helped found the New School for Social Research, assisted the Women\u2019s Trade Union League, and served as a trustee of Columbia Teachers College.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Willard died from influenza while in Paris in 1918, Dorothy tackled his last wish that she \u201cdo such thing or things for Cornell University as she may think most fitting and useful to make the same a more human place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Dorthy
With family at her 1925 wedding to Leonard Elmhirst.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Unwilling to leave the project in the hands of Cornell\u2019s faculty\u2014who were skeptical of a community space that would encourage women to socialize with men\u2014Dorothy visited other colleges and universities to get ideas for a student union building, and she insisted that Cornell\u2019s be coeducational.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dorothy visited other colleges and universities to get ideas for a student union building, and she insisted that Cornell\u2019s be coeducational.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The result was a beautiful and useful memorial to her late husband that opened in 1925.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During this process, she met and married another Cornell alum: Leonard Elmhirst 1921.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Dorothy
In her later years.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two purchased Dartington Hall, an English country estate that they developed into a hub of progressive educational and artistic programs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Dartington Trust continues to operate a range of activities to sustain their legacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Dorothy died in 1968, she had outlived Willard by half a century\u2014decades she spent building a legacy of her own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her extraordinary dedication to social justice, education, and human dignity touched countless lives across continents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

While Willard Straight Hall bears her late husband\u2019s name, it embodies Dorothy\u2019s values as an inclusive, community-focused hub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An expert on Big Red lore, Corey Ryan Earle \u201907 teaches \u201cThe First American University,\u201d a wildly popular spring semester course on Cornell history.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Top: Image courtesy of Library of Congress; photo illustration by Ashley Osburn \/ Cornell University. All other photos courtesy of Rare and Manuscript Collections.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Published October 13, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

While the Hill\u2019s beloved student union is named for her late husband, Dorothy Whitney Straight Elmhirst made it happen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":68,"featured_media":60236,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"alumni_hub_syml_posts":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[657],"tags":[],"cornell_year_post":[],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-59907","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-storytime-with-corey"],"yoast_head":"\nMeet the Woman Who Was the Driving Force Behind the Straight - Cornellians | Cornell University<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"While the Hill\u2019s beloved student union is named for her late husband, Dorothy Whitney Straight Elmhirst made it happen\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/earle-dorothy-straight\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Meet the Woman Who Was the Driving Force Behind the Straight - Cornellians | Cornell University\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"While the Hill\u2019s beloved student union is named for her late husband, Dorothy Whitney Straight Elmhirst made it happen\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/earle-dorothy-straight\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Cornellians | Cornell University\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Cornellians\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-10-13T18:17:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-12-15T19:26:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/10\/dorothy-straight_green.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"450\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Beth Saulnier\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@WeCornellians\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@WeCornellians\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Beth Saulnier\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/earle-dorothy-straight\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/earle-dorothy-straight\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Beth Saulnier\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/32fea64e8c64bb984ed5809675634100\"},\"headline\":\"Meet the Woman Who Was the Driving Force Behind the Straight\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-13T18:17:02+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-15T19:26:10+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/earle-dorothy-straight\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1216,\"commentCount\":7,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/earle-dorothy-straight\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/dorothy-straight_green.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Storytime with Corey\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/earle-dorothy-straight\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/earle-dorothy-straight\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/earle-dorothy-straight\\\/\",\"name\":\"Meet the Woman Who Was the Driving Force Behind the Straight - Cornellians | Cornell University\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/earle-dorothy-straight\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/earle-dorothy-straight\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/dorothy-straight_green.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-13T18:17:02+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-15T19:26:10+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/32fea64e8c64bb984ed5809675634100\"},\"description\":\"While the Hill\u2019s beloved student union is named for her late husband, Dorothy Whitney Straight Elmhirst made it happen\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/earle-dorothy-straight\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/earle-dorothy-straight\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/earle-dorothy-straight\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/dorothy-straight_green.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/dorothy-straight_green.jpg\",\"width\":800,\"height\":450,\"caption\":\"A vintage photo of Dorothy Straight on a green background\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/earle-dorothy-straight\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Meet the Woman Who Was the Driving Force Behind the Straight\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/\",\"name\":\"Cornellians | Cornell University\",\"description\":\"Cornell's alumni publication\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/32fea64e8c64bb984ed5809675634100\",\"name\":\"Beth Saulnier\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/321760a8edb5153d2c562bbadd61cc5ebb987bda75fb59074266c35cc35beae1?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/321760a8edb5153d2c562bbadd61cc5ebb987bda75fb59074266c35cc35beae1?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/321760a8edb5153d2c562bbadd61cc5ebb987bda75fb59074266c35cc35beae1?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Beth Saulnier\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/author\\\/ess8\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Meet the Woman Who Was the Driving Force Behind the Straight - Cornellians | Cornell University","description":"While the Hill\u2019s beloved student union is named for her late husband, Dorothy Whitney Straight Elmhirst made it happen","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/earle-dorothy-straight\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Meet the Woman Who Was the Driving Force Behind the Straight - Cornellians | Cornell University","og_description":"While the Hill\u2019s beloved student union is named for her late husband, Dorothy Whitney Straight Elmhirst made it happen","og_url":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/earle-dorothy-straight\/","og_site_name":"Cornellians | Cornell University","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Cornellians","article_published_time":"2025-10-13T18:17:02+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-12-15T19:26:10+00:00","og_image":[{"width":800,"height":450,"url":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/10\/dorothy-straight_green.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Beth Saulnier","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@WeCornellians","twitter_site":"@WeCornellians","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Beth Saulnier","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/earle-dorothy-straight\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/earle-dorothy-straight\/"},"author":{"name":"Beth Saulnier","@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/#\/schema\/person\/32fea64e8c64bb984ed5809675634100"},"headline":"Meet the Woman Who Was the Driving Force Behind the Straight","datePublished":"2025-10-13T18:17:02+00:00","dateModified":"2025-12-15T19:26:10+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/earle-dorothy-straight\/"},"wordCount":1216,"commentCount":7,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/earle-dorothy-straight\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/10\/dorothy-straight_green.jpg","articleSection":["Storytime with Corey"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/earle-dorothy-straight\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/earle-dorothy-straight\/","url":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/earle-dorothy-straight\/","name":"Meet the Woman Who Was the Driving Force Behind the Straight - Cornellians | Cornell University","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/earle-dorothy-straight\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/earle-dorothy-straight\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/10\/dorothy-straight_green.jpg","datePublished":"2025-10-13T18:17:02+00:00","dateModified":"2025-12-15T19:26:10+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/#\/schema\/person\/32fea64e8c64bb984ed5809675634100"},"description":"While the Hill\u2019s beloved student union is named for her late husband, Dorothy Whitney Straight Elmhirst made it happen","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/earle-dorothy-straight\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/earle-dorothy-straight\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/earle-dorothy-straight\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/10\/dorothy-straight_green.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/10\/dorothy-straight_green.jpg","width":800,"height":450,"caption":"A vintage photo of Dorothy Straight on a green background"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/earle-dorothy-straight\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Meet the Woman Who Was the Driving Force Behind the Straight"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/#website","url":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/","name":"Cornellians | Cornell University","description":"Cornell's alumni publication","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/#\/schema\/person\/32fea64e8c64bb984ed5809675634100","name":"Beth Saulnier","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/321760a8edb5153d2c562bbadd61cc5ebb987bda75fb59074266c35cc35beae1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/321760a8edb5153d2c562bbadd61cc5ebb987bda75fb59074266c35cc35beae1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/321760a8edb5153d2c562bbadd61cc5ebb987bda75fb59074266c35cc35beae1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Beth Saulnier"},"url":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/author\/ess8\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59907","targetHints":{"allow":["GET","POST","PUT","PATCH","DELETE"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/68"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59907"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59907\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":63786,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59907\/revisions\/63786"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/60236"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59907"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59907"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59907"},{"taxonomy":"cornell_year_post","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cornell_year_post?post=59907"},{"taxonomy":"post_folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_folder?post=59907"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}