ALCOAST 049/20 - FEB 2020 PASSING OF COAST GUARD SPAR CAPTAIN ELEANOR L’ECUYER, USCG RETIRED.

U.S. Coast Guard sent this bulletin at 02/20/2020 10:09 AM EST

united states coast guard

R 201004 FEB 20
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC//CG-092//
TO ALCOAST
UNCLAS//N05700
ALCOAST 049/20
COMDTNOTE 5700
SUBJ:  PASSING OF COAST GUARD SPAR CAPTAIN ELEANOR L’ECUYER, USCG RETIRED.
1. The Commandant announces with regret the passing on 5 Feb 2020 of CAPT Eleanor
Creed L’Ecuyer, USCG retired.
2. Captain L’Ecuyer joined the Coast Guard in 1944 and served as a Pharmacist’s Mate
at Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles, Washington. Following her discharge in 1946,
Captain L’Ecuyer obtained a law degree at Suffolk University. In 1951 she re-joined the
Coast Guard at the rank of Lieutenant (junior grade) and was assigned to Washington,
D.C., one of the first female lawyers to join the Coast Guard. Although she was not
allowed to serve as a lawyer, Captain L’Ecuyer forever impacted Coast Guard policies
and increased career opportunities for women serving in the Coast Guard.
3. During her twenty years of service, Captain L’Ecuyer successfully convinced the
service to allow spouses to co-locate and to stop treating pregnancy as a disabling
condition requiring discharge from the service. She also challenged the policy limiting
women to serving for only 20 years. In the 1970s, Captain L’Ecuyer was responsible for
upgrading women’s uniforms: stylish change to the timeworn navy style came about after
Captain L’Ecuyer contacted her Hollywood friend, the eight-time Academy-Award
winning costume designer Edith Head. Using her personal time, Captain L’Ecuyer spent
countless hours with the designer sketching the uniforms to make Coast Guard female
uniforms more comfortable and stylish. On 23 November 1975, the designs were
approved by the Commandant for use by all women in the Coast Guard.
4. Captain L’Ecuyer retired in 1971 as the longest-serving SPAR and as a Captain, the
highest rank women could hold at that time. After retirement, Captain L’Ecuyer
continued to advocate for women.
5. Members who wish to learn more about CAPT L’Ecuyer’s life and legacy are invited
to read more about her on the CG Compass Blog:
https://compass.coastguard.blog/2011/11/23/making-waves-capt-eleanor-lecuyer/.
6. RADM Melissa Bert, Director, Governmental and Public Affairs, sends.
7. Internet release is authorized.