Lasting Memories

Margot Drekmeier
March 14, 1932-Feb. 26, 2008
Palo Alto, California

Margot Drekmeier, mother of Palo Alto Vice Mayor Peter Drekmeier and founder of the program Social Thought and Institutions at Stanford University, died peacefully Feb. 26, 2008. She was 75.

She was born March 14, 1932, in Boston, Mass. She attended Girls Latin School in Boston and majored in history at Oberlin College, where she served as president of the student council in her senior year. She later earned a doctorate degree from Harvard, met and married Charles Drekmeier, and moved to Palo Alto.

The young couple traveled cross-country to Palo Alto in one of the first Volkswagon buses that became popular in the 1960s, her husband remembers.

Together, they founded the program in Social Thought and Institutions, which continued for 23 years. She also taught in the Western Civilization program in the History department after the couple moved to Palo Alto in 1958 and began teaching together at Stanford. "She taught seminars in the History department," Charles said. "She didn't want to be on the tenure track because she had (young) children." She and Charles, a Stanford University professor emeritus, were to have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this year.

In addition to teaching at Stanford, she also taught at Mills College in Oakland.

She was also part of a social justice program at the First Presbyterian Church in Palo Alto and traveled to El Salvador as part of a peace group.

"Margot will be remembered as a loving mother and wife and for her deep commitment to human rights, social justice and environmental protection," her family said.

She is survived by her husband, Charles; daughter, Nadja May; sons, Peter and Kai; two grandchildren; two brothers; and several nieces and nephews.