When I was in college in the early ‘60s, Stella Harris Oaks was a role model for young, Mormon women—at least in Utah. Stella, a community pillar, was often referred to as Provo’s city mother. Her husband died when their oldest child was just seven. With no Social Security benefits for widows and children back then, Stella returned to teaching to support her family. Pursuing excellence was part of Stella’s creed. She even left the security of Utah to earn her Master’s Degree from Columbia University.
