Year Honored: 1991
Birth: 1917 - 2008
Born in: Wilmington, Delaware
Biography
Nancy Churchman Sawin was born to Ellen Q. and Sanford W. Sawin in 1917. Sawin was interested in the arts, and studied under Eleanor Rhodes, Frank Schoonover, the Crouse College of Fine Art at Syracuse University, and majored in fine arts at Principia College in St. Louis. She later earned a master’s degree in American History from the University of Delaware and a doctorate in education administration from the University of Pennsylvania.
Ellen Q. Sawin founded the Sanford School in 1930. Sawin taught at the school from 1938 – 1961, eventually serving as the Dean of Girls and Principal of the Upper School. In 1961 she became Head of the School until her retirement in 1974. The Sanford School was designed to be a “whole life experience” where children could develop talents while also being traditionally educated.
Sawin also had a love of sports helping to establish intercollegiate sports in Delaware, and coached lacrosse, basketball, softball, tennis, riding, and field hockey at Sanford. Hockey was a passion for her, and she developed a strong program at Sanford. She herself made the All-American team 7 times, was twice made captain of touring teams, coached at the famed Applebee Hockey Camp for more than 20 years, and coached an overseas tour with the Philadelphia Hockey Association. Sawin was also president of the U.S Field Hockey Association and the International Federation of Women’s Hockey Associations. In 1988, she was named to the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame, and she was a charter member of the U.S Field Hockey Hall of Fame.
She wrote and illustrated several books on the Eastern Shore and Delaware. They were presented in individual shows and they appear in several prestigious permanent collections. The paintings are an important visual record of the history of the region, particularly buildings and landmarks that are disappearing or already gone.
Sawin helped to obtain funds for the Hockessin Public Library; was on the advisory board of the Center for Creative Arts; was President of the Board for the Hale-Bynes House; was the second woman to serve as President of the Middle State Association of Colleges and Schools; and was board president of Goldey-Beacom College. She was also a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Sawin was listed in the Who’s Who Education and the Who’s Who in America. She also received the UD Medal of Merit.
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Sources and Additional Readings
Nancy Churchman Sawin (1917-2008) - find a grave... Find a Grave. (n.d.). Retrieved January 10, 2022, from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/74418501/nancy-churchman-sawin
Nancy Sawin Obituary (2008) The News Journal. Legacy.com. (n.d.). Retrieved January 10, 2022, from https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/delawareonline/name/nancy-sawin-obituary?pid=145573713
Nancy Sawin. Collecting Delaware Books - Books by Nancy Sawin. (n.d.). Retrieved January 10, 2022, from http://jnjreid.com/cdb/sawin.html
Nancy Sawin; the famous Delawarean with Cecil County ties ... (n.d.). Retrieved January 10, 2022, from https://www.cecildaily.com/our_cecil/nancy-sawin-the-famous-delawarean-with-cecil-county-ties/article_dbac54da-b7b5-595a-8892-e1baca4dce3f.html
- Collections: 1991