James, Elizabeth
SchoolDonor
BiographyTempe News
Elizabeth James, Tempe chronicler, teacher, dies at 85
By Lawn Griffiths, Tribune
August 31, 2004
Elizabeth James, a fifthgeneration Arizonan whose passion was chronicling and preserving the stories of the "old settlers" of Tempe, died Sunday.
She lived virtually all of her 85 years in Tempe, all within a five-block area near Arizona State University.
In March, James was one of 35 residents chosen as "Tempe Legends" by the Tempe Historical Society. An educator for 37 years, James compiled the 112-page "Tempe Hieroglyphics" and 205-page "Memories of Old Settlers." Both included rich accounts of longtime Tempe residents.
In an earlier era in Tempe, "everybody in town knew who she was because she was a very outgoing person," said Sen. Harry Mitchell, D-Tempe, and former mayor.
It was fitting that James’ longtime home on 13th Street "overlooked the university, the traffic and growth there," Mitchell said. "It is just symbolic of somebody who had their eye out for Tempe."
James was born on June 12, 1919, in the family home, delivered by Dr. B.B. Moeur, a Tempe physician who later became an Arizona governor. While attending Tempe High School, the then-Elizabeth Hampton became a state swimming champion and competed in California for the 1936 U.S. women’s Olympics swim team.
She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in 1940 and 1943 respectively from ASU, then went to Chicago to enroll at Northwestern University to work on a doctorate, but quickly returned. "Chicago was a shock to me after this little town," she explained.
She married her high school friend, William James, then began 10 years as a teacher and administrator, primarily in the Balsz School District in Phoenix. After serving as assistant principal at Gililland Middle School in Tempe, James spent her last 11 years in roles for the Tempe Elementary School District. She retired in 1979.
Sam Fees, retired Tempe Elementary superintendent, remembered James as "a determined woman. She represented the best of all of Arizona. She expected children to do what they were expected to do and she expected, in her life, to do what she was taught to do." That included being a "good mother, a good teacher and a good member of the community."
Memorial services will be 3 p.m. Friday at Arizona Community Church, 9325 S. Rural Road. Carr-Tenney Mortuary of Tempe was in charge of arrangements.
She is survived by two daughters, Georgia McElvain and Jama Crane, both of Tempe; a brother, Richard Hampton of Emerald, Australia; and four grandchildren.
Second Obituary:
Elizabeth James
Elizabeth James, 85, a fifth generation Arizonan, died August 29, 2004, in Tempe. She was born Elizabeth Hampton in Tempe on June 12,1919, to W.Everett Hampton and Georgia Carter Hampton and was descended from two Yavapai County families, the Carters and the Pierces, who came to Arizona by covered wagon in the 1870s. In 1909 Elizabeth's grandparents, J.O.Carter and Clara Pierce, moved from Walnut Grove, AZ to Tempe so their children could attend the Tempe Normal School (now Arizona State University). Elizabeth attended Tempe schools, where she was a state swimming champion and participated in the trials for the 1936 Olympic team. She graduated from Arizona State Teachers College in 1940, and received her Masters degree in 1943. She spent 37 years in education, was a principal at Crockett and Balsz Schools in the Balsz School District and assistant principal at Gililland Junior High School in Tempe. She was an administrator for the Tempe Elementary School District for eleven years until her retirement in 1979. She was a member of PEO, Epsilon Sigma Alpha sorority, Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority, Tempe Women's Club, First Families of Arizona, Old Settlers of Tempe, and the Tempe Historical Society. In 2003 the Tempe Historical Society honored her as one of the Tempe Legends. Her husband. William T. James, Jr., and a brother, Neil Hampton, preceded Elizabeth in death. She is survived by a brother, Richard Hampton of Emerald. Australia; two daughters, Georgia McElvain (Bill) and Jama Crane (Stephen) of Tempe; one grandson. Andrew William McElvain of Anchorage, Alaska; three granddaughters, Erin Elizabeth McElvain, Catharyn Crane, and Elizabeth Crane of Tempe; four nieces and four nephews. Services will be Friday, September 3 at 3:00 PM at Arizona Community Church, 9325 S. Rural Road. Tempe. Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to Tempe Impacts Education (T.I.E. Foundation), c/o Tempe Schools Credit Union, 2800 S. Mill Avenue, Tempe, AZ 85282, attn:Jim Simpson. CEO. Carr Tenney Mortuary. Sign the Guest Book at eastvalleytribune.com
Published in the East Valley Tribune from 9/1/2004 - 9/2/2004.
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