She was the general secretary of the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) between 1971 and 1978 and president of the board of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens (ASCSA) from 1976 until her death in 1983.
They were accompanied by a guide, Constantine Nicoloudis, whose deep knowledge of the country's history and antiquities made the trip "nothing less than a first-rate illustrated course in classical archaeology.
"[1] On her arrival back in the United States, Whitehead immediately applied to study classical archaeology at the University of Pennsylvania.
Her biographer, Doreen Spitzer, speculated that, while Whitehead remained interested and committed to the discipline, her affluent background left her with little reason to pursue an academic career.
[1] Whitehead was invited to become a trustee of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens (ASCSA) in 1972, and was appointed the president of the board in 1976.
[1] In addition to her positions at the AIA and ASCSA, Whitehead supported a number of other institutions, many concerned with archaeology, through donations and by serving as a trustee.
Her husband, who became a trustee after her death, later doubled the endowment, creating two Elizabeth A. Whitehead Visiting Professor positions at the ASCSA.