University of Minnesota School of Agriculture - Agrarian Yearbook (Minneapolis, MN)

Page 26 text:

-w I 0 4. C Ci J., V V ,,-x .,., -I SLT -xr .y .1 1 T' ' .v 1. f ., no if 0 fi1'r11ii'f ia. 33.2 lfsff . C fllfiiii f I took Carpentry, Blacksmithing and Drill, the girls were required to take Physical , E ,QA Culture, Social Culture, Cooking, Home Management, Household Art, Sewing, Home qi l 5 Economy, and Domestic Hygiene. In the basement of the Home Building class rooms ggi were equipped for the Home Economics subjects. The Horticulture building was 5555. TQ opened in 1'900. This well equipped plant laboratory, adjacent to the greenhouse, in 'J 13 gave the boys and girls excellent opportunities to learn how plants grow. WS: In those days groups of girls had to set their alarms for 4:30 in the morning. but They had to be in the Dairy Hall in time to take their lesson in dairying and to lfgff in wash the milk pails and separators before breakfast, which was served at seven gg: 3. o'clock. Each group had to do this for two weeks at a time. Q31 Egg Blacksmithing and Carpentry were not required of girls, but some of them ,611 persuaded Professor Drew to let them take a few lessons in Blacksmithing, and 'ggi no after much hard work they evolved something by courtesy called a barn door hook, but which really looked more like a warped skewer. A few of the girls even iii? .61 aspired to painting barns. ,WJ .. There was a large enrollment of boys. They were not overjoyed at the idea 'REI ,A of welcoming girls to the School of Agriculture, and at first it was very hard for Q them to be sociable. The boys enjoyed playing pranks on the girls. One Hallowe'en Mfg, 1 night they moved from the cattle barn a large sign which had been put up to keep iff: folks from disturbing some animals used in an experiment. VVhen the girls went to 5, breakfast the next morning they found their Dormitory labeled, Please do not EQ: ZS, disturb these animals. A 150 The School was especially fortunate in having such a Woman as Mrs. Virginia and Q1 at Meredith as Preceptress. Mrs. Meredith was a woman of refinement and culture, and yet a practical farm woman. She had a great faith in co-education in the ,Q School of Agriculture and it was she who had to lay the foundation of the course for the girls. 1321 1 ww Miss Juanita L. Sheppard may also be classed with the women who deserve O much credit for what was accomplished in the early days. In the summer of 1893 ffm, she taught Domestic Science during the short course. She was so well liked that ,ci they engaged her as instructor in Cooking and Laundering for the regular term, 361 QE a position which she filled most efhciently. - T0 'ic Mrs. Blair was also an instructor in the Summer School, and, when the girls 32.2 were admitted to the regular school, she was chosen as sewing instructor. Her aim ,332 5: was to teach the girls how to select colors, materials and styles, best adapted to my if Ugg! their individual types. Co-education brought about the greatest advancement of the School of Agricul- J' ture. This very popular State School is now giving to Minnesota every year many if thoroughly trained young men and women, ambitious to make Agriculture their ug, '- 5 life work and to become better citizens of this great state. '39-' 'H' R' GH? 25?- Qf. PEW itfflrit ff i , 1 seE3rF.a,f,f - , is :rg , fa . -21 + ' ' A ' iiffu ' ,ff ' fr 1 P eg, ffgafr ' Page Trren fy

Page 25 text:

' ': ' , . ' . ',-4' - . '1 , . . . f HISTORY OF CO-EDUCATION IN THE SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE INNESOTA has the credit of having the first successful Agricultural i ' School for boys. It was also the first to admit girls and to give them a E ,Jr i special course of study. A summer school for girls was l1eld for four years before they were admitted to the regular school. This six weeks' short course was so well attended and proved so helpful that people began to consider the advisability of a longer course. Many felt there was a real need for such training for girls. Others thought that the girls could learn at home all they needed to know about housekeeping and homemaking. Some were strongly opposed to the idea of per- mitting girls to attend the school. The faculty members were heartily in favor of admitting them. Professor Brewster, in speaking of the school when only boys at- tended said, We were thinking all the time of the girls. VVe knew we were only half here. VVe knew this was only half an institution. . President Northrop, in his report to the legislature in 1890, pleaded for co- education in the School of Agriculture. He said, They can be made accomplished housewives, capable of something far better than coarse drudgery, able to minister to the comfort of their households in health and sickness alike and to add to the attraction of the homestead by skillful landscape gardening and the cultivation of Howers. There is a real demand in the state that the girls be given an opportunity to thus prepare themselves for their duties in farm homes. The VVoman's Auxiliary of the State Grange was especially interested in a girls' school. A committee of five, consisting of Mrs. A. L. Bull, chairman, Mrs. Caroline Scofield, Mrs. Mary lIcGregor, Mrs. Eliza Alexander and Miss Celeste Chowen, was appointed to do what they could to bring about the passage of a bill to provide suflicient funds to construct a dormitory for girls. Such a bill was in- troduced into the legislature in 1895, but it was pigeonholed. This however, did not discourage the zealous workers for co-education. Professor and Mrs. Haecker, who enjoyed strong personal friendship with Regent S. M. Owen, worked with him and through him helped educate the board of regents to the needs of farmers' daughters and to the duty of the State of Minnesota to these daughters. Many difficulties confronted them, but in 1897 they succeeded in introducing another bill into the legislature, providing 325,000 for a VVoman,s Building. This bill was acted upon and passed by both houses. The building was completed in the autumn of 1897. Miss Nelly Lang CMrs. Frank F. Marshallj was the first girl to register in the regular course of the School of Agriculture. She entered the school in 1896, and was graduated in the class of 1899, the first to have girls among its graduates. Two other girls, Miss Grace Andrews fMrs. F. A. Gorhamj and Miss Martha Dennison, deceased, also graduated in this class. Thirty-four girls registered the first year, eighteen of whom lived in the new dormitory. In the beginning there was not much latitude in choosing courses. All the girls were required to take most of the farm subjects, such as Farm Accounts, Study of Breeds, Dairy Husbandry, Vegetable Gardening, Poultry, etc. Wllile the boys :X K , '-f,1,51M--. V. 'V Page Nineteen 4

Page 27 text:

., , - ,---5' 12- N 1 1.-'fqfm H -i'T '-3371 -'iw' 'g 1 , ' V 'H H . .-' . - 1 -H' X, I U U Q Q wx- ' 'A Y 0 fflix ,- -JZ.. N ' ' 1 - K-' . '.- 'ff 175 -fl! .. , . fp- ' xj- -51, , ,mg 45, .W , R , -- wr,-,iv-r-J--g-nn?-QJL., -.,..,Q 3:14 Il ' 1 ' Lkzrn Y ' ,5-A ir. AY if f 4.5 fi, TQQQQ. W '11 I ' 1 I Ji ' . - E li W iq M 1 i 9 fx., - f ' 'rf , T74 -'a .rj X , .1 fig, .75 T J W 135 -'I 1.53, as .'ij:g1 fn' I-?'. IRQ? 1 ' Lu, X 1111-1 1 Un ' ,Vi -F' Yr 'wi . r. . .gl ' J ' --EZ L J 1 ' ' r J J n A Cooking Class m 1900-held ln the first clmmg room, located ln the old Home Bu11d1ng , QQ, , .-O'-5 H . lj ? :fx . V 7 xi .ff , :Of i Ji . H ,N hm: , . - 05351 .l fn., f N ' 113.1 H, .-sf , 19. 4 f r ' r I J I jfgjij r h M l 1 3 fi F Jil: Q Y ! A .Un Y I ' ' V AVA, ' .1 'SW If 1 A E , N f . W A ' .nj J! ,Q RA I Professor Haecker's class ll! Home Dalrymg m 1900 r ' l 5' : w X . 4.3 f 'E' ni T' ' ' 'i 'KT'ri7,'., , v:r1'f v7 -f-W 1- 77+-g'--if V' 4 -'g I3 Ai Fw ' ' me-+7 .:T,.,,, . . V Y Ig! A ,fix -ff... .5251 V '-' Ev' - ' 'f if :'-fQ': -' X. lg .JA. fA : J A ikfiflfa .. '- gi. 5, 2553 xxwfilfv'-Y :Q Lg, A ,Q 132. f ' Qt- A '-2. 'I 1.1-K 1- - If .ff . - I A-.4 A X' ' 1 K J.. X.. y w 3 ,L J,f.gQv 3: A 1 X111-xg? U-Y,415wX',lf F-, ,X - J . A i . f -K f' ' A, ...Sr-Lg A- 4 . 9,-ff 'LMA-ki?-' is-' , rv .4 ' A Q 1 - ' ff- iS'z'L i'1i -fi-fsN'v'l5'1 -5.-'-11.-NJff.,.s-Q' Sw 1 'fzs f ', 5 , 7 - F l .K 11 iq, ,I 1 V ' 253- ' 4' gg' 7 A. !Q.3P'-V, Tfr fx' 1- L ' '-'--' f - - A-W M- M :fig -, g1l1,!Q'.4j, 1.4. -. :.....,.,1,g.LL.4, ?J Page Twenty-one , -.- -. - J