Geitel Winakor was born August 29, 1929 in Springfield, Illinois. She received a B.A. (1950) in home economics from the University of Illinois, an M.S. (1951) in textiles and clothing from Drexel Institute of Technology, and a Ph.D. (1960) from Iowa State University in consumption economics. While completing her Ph.D. studies she received the Omicron Nu-American Home Economics Associated Research Fellowship (1958-1959) and the General Foods Fund Fellowship (1959-1960). She also studied (1953, 1955, 1958, and 1965) at the University of Tennessee Summer Crafts Workshop.



Winakor was an Instructor (1951-1954) at Michigan State University in the Department of Textiles, Clothing, and Related Arts. She was a member of the University of Toronto Faculty of Household Science as a Lecturer (1954-1956) and as an Assistant Professor (1956-1957). Winakor joined the Iowa State University Department of Textiles and Clothing as an Assistant Professor (1960-1962). She was promoted to Associate Professor (1962-1966), and Professor (1966-1992). She served as an associate member (1962-1968) of the Graduate College Faculty and as a full member (1968-1992). She was named the Mary B. Welch Distinguished Professor in Family and Consumer Sciences (1973) and Professor Emeritus (1992).



Winakor was a member of several honor societies including Alpha Lambda Delta, Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, Phi Upsilon Omicron, and Omicron Nu. She was also active in many professional associations such as the Home Economic Association, the American Economic Association, the Costume Society (England), the Costume Society of America, American Crafts Council, and the International Textiles and Apparel Association.



Winakor received numerous awards throughout her career, including Outstanding Researcher Award (1987) from the College of Home Economics, Iowa State University; Fellow (1989) of the Association of College Professors of Textiles and Clothing; Outstanding Researcher Award (1989) from Iowa State University; the Board of Regents State of Iowa Award for Faculty Excellence (1990); and Emeritus Life Member of Phi Kappa Phi (1993) by Iowa State University Chapter.