Women’s Vo i c es: Early Years at the University of Michigan edited by Doris E. Attaway and Marjorie Rabe Barritt Women’s Voices: Early Years at the University of Michigan edited by Doris E. Attaway and Marjorie Rabe Barritt Campus walk, 1911-19123 Bentley Historical Library The University of Michigan Published with the assistance of the Jay J. Seaver Fund An endowment of the Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library Bulletin No. 47 October 2000 Bentley Historical Library The University of Michigan Ann Arbor ORICAL IST C H O L L N E A C G T I I O H N C I S M 1935 On the cover: Academic Procession, 19121 On the inside covers: Elizabeth Clark (Payne) 1924 Survey2 ISBN: 0-9668205-3-3 Printed by University Michigan Printing Services DEDICATION Lilian Johnson wrote (at age 90) to the editor of The Michigan Alumnus in July 1954: I love the memory of my days in Ann Arbor, and my connection with Collegiate Sorosis, and that Ethel Fountain Hussey came to me to help organize the Women’s League. But who is there now who remembers me? This bulletin is dedicated to the memory, not only of the alumnae who appear in these pages, but also of those who could not be included; to all the pioneer women of the University of Michigan. v View of campus, 19074 vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword.................................................................................viii Introduction.............................................................................1 The 1924 Alumnae Survey..................................................1 The Survey......................................................................2 Doing Research in the Surveys ............................................4 About the Women .............................................................5 The Women Speak...............................................................8 Influence of the University of Michigan................................8 Early Women.................................................................15 Women in the Medical Schools .........................................23 Diversity.......................................................................26 Asian Women.........................................................26 African-American Women ........................................28 Coeducation...................................................................30 Faculty..........................................................................33 Faculty Wives................................................................41 Presidents of the University..............................................43 Marion LeRoy Burton, James B. Angell................44, 45 Firsts............................................................................53 Organizing.....................................................................55 The Women’s League ......................................................59 Accomplishments...........................................................61 Events..............................................................................68 Spanish American War, World War I, Influenza Epidemic .............................................68-75 Senior Events and Commencement......................................77 Visitors to Campus..........................................................79 Memories ......................................................................82 Traditions: Campus Sings, Freshman Spread, Cap Night.........................................82-85 Friendship...............................................................86 Religion ................................................................87 Housing...................................................................90 Dress....................................................................96 Budget..................................................................98 High Spirits ...............................................................99 Athletic Events.....................................................103 More Memories....................................................106 Places .................................................................111 Conclusion.........................................................................119 Appendix.............................................................................120 Image Citations................................................................132 vii FOREWORD Given that the University of Michigan has, for most of its history, been a large and increasingly bureaucratic organi- zation, a good portion of its archives consist of administra- tive records of one kind or another. These are informative on many dimensions of university life. However, rarely in those documents do we hear what is often of most interest, the voices of those who experienced the teaching and learning that is so fundamental to what a university is about. We are fortunate that within the university’s archives is a collection of survey responses completed by the first cadre of women students to attend the University of Michigan. The pages of these questionnaires record the voices of over 3,000 women who were among the first in the nation to experience higher education in a coeduca- tional environment. This bulletin grew out of work done by Doris Attaway, a volunteer at the Bentley Library. She constructed a database of the information contained in the 3,000 ques- tionnaires, which make up the 1924 Alumnae Survey. Presented here is only a small sample of the wide range of experiences and reflections recorded by a generation of UM alumnae who chose to respond to the survey. Many members of the Bentley Historical Library staff pro- vided support for both the database and bulletin projects. Marjorie Barritt worked with Doris at every stage of this endeavor. Gregory Kinney supplied the computer expertise in the development of the database. Ann Flowers reviewed the physical state of the survey responses and made sug- gestions for their preservation. Kathy Steiner was helpful in identifying images, especially hard-to-find images; she also was instrumental in preparing images for publication. Karen Jania provided sources of information that supple- mented the surveys and was an unfailing supporter of both the database and bulletin projects. Nancy Bartlett provided not only the original idea for the database project viii but continued to provide enthusiastic administrative support for the bulletin through the many months of its creation. William K. Wallach assisted with the final editing. We are particularly pleased that the appearance of this bulletin coincides with the re-dedication of Lane Hall at the University of Michigan, which will serve as a structure to house the Institute for Research on Women and Gender and the Program in Women’s Studies. Francis X. Blouin, Jr. Director ix x INTRODUCTION The 1924 Alumnae Survey In 1924, the Alumnae Council of the Alumni Association of the University of Michigan mailed a survey to the approximately 10,250 women who had attended the University from the year 1870, when women were first admitted, to 1924. The survey was part of an ongoing cam- paign, begun in 1921, to raise $750,000 for the construction of the Women’s Building and $250,000 for an endowment for the building. The council intended the Women’s Building — later renamed the Michigan League — to be the center of activities for undergraduate women and for alumnae and their guests, thus serving the same purpose as the Michigan Union served for men. The surveys were not an attempt to solicit donations as a comprehensive donor project was already underway. Rather, the survey was intended to gain a broader under- standing of the accomplishments of the alumnae and the women students still on campus. Through the survey, the Alumnae Council also hoped to encourage more interest in alumnae activities. The council used the information from the survey to write a brochure, “For Michigan Women Everywhere,” which became a major publicity piece for the Women’s Building campaign. There must be for the women, as for the men, an attractive center for their activities, with plenty of room for every woman in the University and all reasonable comforts and conveniences of a club. Here will develop freely and naturally the Michigan spirit, as it never can in the countless separate groups on the campus. Here their affections will always turn; here the alumnae can always come home. 1 And when they go out into the world again, the fame of Michigan, the story of the absorbing, united life of women there, will go with them.1 The Surveys The council mailed the survey to the more than 3,000 women students in attendance in 1924 and to over 7,000 Michigan alumnae. Jean Hamilton, the third Dean of Women, assumed the directorship of the Women’s Building. Her cover letter on the first page of the ques- tionnaire began: To the Alumnae: We are making a special effort at the University of Michigan this fall to complete the record of our women graduates and former students in order to discover the extent of their influence and service. We want to find out the number of teachers, college officials, home makers, authors, artists, business women and women in other pursuits who received all or part of their higher education at the University of Michigan.2 The personal information requested on the survey included: past and present occupations, public offices and leadership positions held, outstanding achievements, degrees conferred by and