McAfee, Mildred Helen (1900-1994), an American educator, commanded the WAVES during World War II. She received the Distinguished Service Medal in 1945 for her work as the first director of the WAVES, the women’s reserve of the United States Navy. She was president of Wellesley College from 1936 to 1949.
McAfee was born on May 12, 1900, in Parkville, Missouri. She graduated from Vassar College and received a master’s degree from the University of Chicago. In 1945, she married Douglas Horton, a clergyman. She was the first woman chosen to the board of directors of Radio Corporation of America (RCA). She died on Sept. 2, 1994.
