Rachel (Corr) Maiben (1871 - 1959)

Born 3 Nov 1871 in Staplehurst, Seward, Nebraska, United States

Ancestors

Wife of Benjamin William Maiben — married 2 Jun 1909 in Nebraska, United States

Died 27 Feb 1959 at age 87 in Lincoln, Lancaster, Nebraska, United States

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Biography

Rachel was born in 1871 to Thomas Corr and Mary Adams in Staplehurst, Nebraska.

In 1898, Rachel earned her BA in Physics from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. For a few years afterward, she was an instructor of physics at the university.

In 1906, Rachel earned a Chemistry MA from the University of Nebraska for a thesis titled "Determination of bitumen in asphalt paving material." She was Dr. Samuel Avery's first graduate student.

Beginning in October 1907, Rachel was an assistant in E.J. Wickson's Cereal Laboratory in the University of California Agricultural College. In 1909, she married Benjamin Maiben. They did not have any children. They farmed in Palmyra, about 20 miles east of Lincoln.

Rachel passed away in 1959 in Lincoln, Nebraska.

University of Nebraska Senior Class Book, 1898 [1]

RACHEL CORR, has made Physics a specialty during her college course. Is of a retiring disposition. Has a large ambition and expects to teach somewhere. Is an adept at reading Physics note-books. Will take her degree in Science.

The Berkeley Gazette (Berkeley, California) 5 Oct 1907, Saturday, page 2

WILL ASSIST IN CEREAL LABORATORY

Miss Rachel Corr began her duties on Wednesday as assistant in the cereal laboratory of the university under the direction of Professor E. J. Wickson. Her appointment was received two weeks ago.

Miss Corr has for some year been connected with the department of chemistry of the University of Nebraska from which institution she was graduated in 1898.

Miss Corr will assist in the investigation of cereal food values under Professor Wickson and will give Instruction on the subject as well.

The Alliance Herald (Alliance, Nebraska) 24 Jun 1909, Thursday, page 5

MABIN-CORR

On June 2, '09, at Berkley, Calif., Mr. Ben. Mabin of Palmyra, Nebr., and Miss Rachel Corr. The groom is a wealthy farmer of Otoe county, Nebr. The bride, a sister of Mrs. U. N. Hoskins of our city, has been a teacher the past two years in the Agricultural college of the University of California, and of course it is needless to mention that she has many friends. Last week Mr. and Mrs. Mabin stopped in Alliance from Friday to Saturday to visit friends enroute to Palmyra where they will make their home.

Lincoln Journal Star (Lincoln, Nebraska) 3 May 1920, Monday, page 9

RECALLS SOME EARLY HISTORY

Chancellor Avery Tells of His First Work at the University

...Thence he came to the city campus for a year and was then transferred to the farm. This station then lacked equipment and adjustments were made with other departments to secure the essentials for some work which won the approval of the farmers. Miss Rachel Corr, now Mrs Maiben, was Chancellor Avery's first assistant and gave valuable service. When the chancellor was transferred the city campus Dr. Upson was put charge of the work at the farm.

Lincoln Journal Star (Lincoln, Nebraska) 1 Mar 1959, Sun • Page 12

Mrs. Maiben Dies Here

Mrs. Rachael Maiben, 87, 1025 so. 32nd, an 1898 graduate of the University of Nebraska College of Chemical Engineering, died in a local hospital.

She was an active member of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences Through the University Foundation, she had also helped finance many University of Nebraska State Museum field projects.

Mrs. Maiben was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, Red Cross, University of Nebraska Alumni Assn., and Nebraska State Historical Society.

She was a former Palmyra resident. Funeral services will be held Monday, 3 p.m., at Palmyra Presbyterian Church with burial in Palmyra Cemetery.

Survivors include a brother, Robert P. Corr, Eagle; and 11 nieces and nephews,

Lincoln Journal Star (Lincoln, Nebraska) 28 Mar 1999, Sunday, page 97

Who, What, When, Where

In 1960, Benjamin and Rachel Maiben donated the bulk of their estate to the Nebraska Academy of Sciences.

Rachel Maiben received her master's degree in chemistry at the University of Nebraska in 1906, doing graduate research on asphalt as a possible paving material. She met Ben while he was a student in one of the short-term classes she taught.

The Maibens, both life members of the academy, willed the organization stock valued at $40,000 and a 160-acre farm in Otoe County, northwest of Palmyra. They expressed the wish that the farm be retained as a permanent investment and that it be used as an experimental farm and for educational purposes. The farm was one of the first in the state to employ counter farming and other experimental agriculture techniques.

The couple was very interested in vertebrate paleontology and financed University of Nebraska State Museum expeditions from 1949 to 1959. They also provided a permanent endowment to the University of Nebraska Foundation for vertebrate paleontological research.

1880 Federal Census in Precinct C, Seward County, Nebraska:

• Thomas Corr 34 Farmer born Illinois
• wife Mary 32 born Illinois
• daughter Maria 12 born Cuba
• daughter Jennie 9 born Nebraska
• daughter Rachel 8 born Nebraska
• daughter Mary 6 born Nebraska
• son James 5 born Nebraska
• son Robert 3 born Nebraska
• son Ray 1 born Nebraska

Legacy

The Nebraska Academy of Sciences hosts a Maiben Memorial Lecture as the keynote event of its annual meeting. The funds were provided by the "estate of Rachael and Benjamin Maiben, two Life Members of the Academy." [2]

Sources

• 1880 Federal Census [3]
• 1900 Federal Census [4]
• 1910 Federal Census [5]
• 1920 Federal Census [6]
• 1930 Federal Census [7]
• 1940 Federal Census [8]
• Findagrave [9]