Dr. Marie Frazee-Baldassarre ’43, ’46 M.A., left a generous bequest to Montclair State University for the creation of an English Department chair named in her honor. After earning a bachelor’s degree, Miss Frazee joined the staff at Montclair State as a secretary in the Office of the Registrar. She earned a master’s degree from Montclair and a doctorate from Columbia Teachers College. She worked her way through the ranks in the Registrar’s Office before joining Academic Advising, where she was the adviser to the then School of Mathematics and Science. She also taught in the Department of Counseling, Human Development, and Educational Leadership.
Marie Frazee-Baldassarre worked for her alma mater for more than 45 years. “The only time I remember Marie asking for anything for herself was when she retired and she sheepishly inquired whether she could take her antique Royal manual typewriter with her into retirement,” said former Provost Richard Lynde, who had the typewriter refurbished for her. “She will be remembered by generations of Montclair State alumni who knew her simply as Miss Frazee” (from Alumni Life 2003).
According to Dr. Frazee-Baldassarre’s will, “The income of the fund may be used for the salary and related expenses for the professor including pensions, research, books, secretarial expenses and other purposes related to or connected with the work of the professorship.”
Professor Jennifer Fleeger joined the English Department as the second Marie Frazee-Baldassarre Professor in August 2025. Fleeger specializes in film studies and is the author of Sounding American: Hollywood, Opera and Jazz and Mismatched Women: The Siren’s Song Through the Machine, both from Oxford University Press. In addition to using the funds to support her research on film sound and to support Montclair students in their cinematic pursuits by bringing guest speakers, filmmakers, and performers to campus, Fleeger has created a screening and discussion series called Films That Matter to Me. In this series, members of the university community select a film to view and discuss with the public, demonstrating how the cinema crosses disciplinary boundaries to make our lives more meaningful. Dr. Fleeger is also using the professorship to continue her work with Crescendo, a community-based, tuition-free music program, pairing undergraduates with elementary school children to create silent films with live scores.