Welcome to the new year, 2026.
Traditionally a time to talk about resolutions and new beginnings, I want to start this year by remembering two icons of Danville Area Community College: Professor Martha Kay and Professor Marilyn Satterwhite. We lost Martha on Nov. 14, 2025, and Marilyn just this past week, Jan. 5. These two women, both leaders in their respective fields, were the backbone of this college in its early days.
Martha LaFrenz Kay was a professor in the Liberal Arts division, teaching English, rhetoric, and speech (occasionally). She was the faculty advisor for ‘Waiting for Rain,’ the student literary publication.
She began her career at Danville Junior College in September 1969 and retired from full-time teaching in 1998, though she continued to teach part-time until 2009. In 1997 she was selected as DACC’s Full Time Faculty Award winner.
In addition to being a distinguished professor, before the title existed, Martha was a published author. Along with her colleague and friend Dr. Janet Cornelius, she wrote ‘Women of Conscience: Social Reform in Danville, Illinois;’ and she partnered with former colleagues, especially Marilyn Satterwhite to author ‘Second Chances, a collection of anecdotes about the early years of Danville Area Community College.’ Second Chances picks up where Miss Mary Miller’s book, ‘A Chance for All,’ left off. Both books may be found in the DACC Library.
In 2022, Martha Kay was featured in the video series, Legends of DACC: Episode Four. This two-part episode may be found on DACC’s YouTube channel at the following links:
Part One: https://youtu.be/adS9Eg8z4MQ?si= u4W6WAdO66R61Of5
Part Two: https://youtu.be/TIR49AE2Euw?si= dPRxQnbsAd_ItdaM
Professor Marilyn Weinard Satterwhite founded the Business Department at DJC, writing the curriculums, recruiting the faculty, and serving as the department’s first Chairperson. She was hired by Miss Miller as full-time instructor in 1965, the year DJC moved to our Main Street campus.
Marilyn was a respected teacher, both on campus and across the State. She developed the Business Club for her business students and hosted an annual luncheon where her students could practice good business etiquette in social situations. During her career, she co-authored 12 business textbooks and was a featured speaker for textbook publisher, McGraw-Hill
In 1993 Marilyn received the national ATHENA award. She was the Full-time Faculty of the Year at DACC in 1994, and in 1995 she was the ACCT Central Region Faculty of the Year. She won the NISOD Teaching Excellence Award that same year.
Marilyn retired from full-time teaching in 2002, but remained a presence on campus as both a part-time instructor and the Executive Director of the DACC annuitants’ group. She was honored as a DACC Founder in 2013. You can see some of Marilyn’s reminiscences in the second Legends of DACC video on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/x3EQtyRATBM?si=rJEo2Tf8LDQ43Ne1.
Institutions like Danville Area Community College don’t reach our 80th (yes, that’s right) year in a vacuum; it takes the strength, dedication, and sheer force of will of founders like Martha and Marilyn. They will be dearly missed.