Dickeyville Residents Who Made History

This post featured in Village Town Crier, September 2025.

By Mike Blair

Mildred "Millie" Tyssowski, a prominent figure in Baltimore's federal government and community. A champion of social justice influenced by Eleanor Roosevelt, Tyssowski first arrived in Baltimore as a wartime worker for Social Security. She rose to become one of the highest-ranking female federal executives in the area, retiring as the director of Medicare operations.

After retirement, she remained a tireless volunteer and advocate, co-founding the Women Composers Orchestra and assisting low-income women through Women Entrepreneurs of Baltimore. 

Mildred "Millie" Tyssowski, a distinguished federal employee and former top budgeting officer for Social Security, has passed away. Tyssowski began her career as a temporary wartime worker in 1943. After a temporary pay cut to work in San Francisco, an experience she later called "invaluable," she returned to Baltimore and rose through the ranks. Her career culminated as the director of Medicare operations, and she was lauded as one of the highest-ranking female federal executives in the Baltimore area upon her 1980 retirement. 

She later focused her efforts on helping other women, co-founding the Women Entrepreneurs of Baltimore to assist low-income women. Tyssowski also served on the Baltimore City Commission for Women, furthering the participation of women in business and government. 

Known for striding about her historic neighborhood and working in her garden, Tyssowski was also a passionate supporter of the arts. In 1985, she co-founded the Women Composers Orchestra, a unique ensemble dedicated to performing music by female composers. In addition to her community association work, she attended performances at Center Stage, Everyman Theatre, and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

Please note these are excerpts from Millie's 2014 obituary by Jacques Kelly