Bryn Mawr Summer School for Women Workers in Industry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bryn Mawr Summer School for Women Workers in Industry |
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Students at the Bryn Mawr Summer School for Women Workers in Industry, ca. 1921
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Pennsylvania Historical Marker
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| Official name: Bryn Mawr Summer School for Women Workers in Industry | |
| Type | Roadside |
| Designated | October 13, 2001 |
| Location | Bryn Mawr Campus, Morris Ave. at Yarrow St., Bryn Mawr |
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The Bryn Mawr Summer School for Women Workers in Industry was a special summer program held from 1921 to 1938. Each year, about 100 young women who worked in factories came to the Bryn Mawr College campus in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. They spent eight weeks studying subjects like English and economics.
This program was part of a bigger movement in the 1920s and 1930s to educate workers. It was very special because it was the first of its kind for women in the United States. It was also planned, led, and mostly taught by women. Plus, it was hosted by a college just for women.
The idea for the school came from Bryn Mawr College President M. Carey Thomas. Rich people like John D. Rockefeller Jr. helped pay for it. Teachers came from local colleges. Under the leadership of Hilda Worthington Smith, the school became a great success. It even inspired other similar programs. Many students, who came from different backgrounds and industries, later became important leaders in workers' unions. The school eventually closed in 1938 due to disagreements with the college's leaders.
A documentary film called The Women of Summer was made in 1985 about this school.
Contents
The School's Story
How the School Started
The idea for the school came to Bryn Mawr College President M. Carey Thomas. She visited similar programs in England and was inspired. She said the idea came to her in 1919 while traveling in the desert. She imagined a world where working people had fair opportunities. She also believed women could help each other achieve this goal.
In 1920, President Thomas talked with Dean Hilda Worthington Smith about starting the summer school. Important labor leaders like Mary Anderson and Rose Schneiderman also helped plan the school.
The school's main goal was to help young women in industry. It wanted to give them a chance to study different subjects. It also aimed to help them think clearly and understand problems in the economy. The school hoped students would gain a better understanding of industry issues. It wanted them to feel responsible for finding solutions.
The first 82 students arrived on June 15, 1921. To join, students had to be between 20 and 35 years old. They needed to have worked for at least three years, with two years in a factory job. They also needed at least a sixth-grade education and to be able to read and write English. The school was for workers who used tools, not supervisors or office workers.
How the School Was Run
Hilda Worthington Smith led the summer school for thirteen years. She is given credit for making it such a successful program. A special committee helped run the school. Half of the committee members were working women, and the other half were women from Bryn Mawr College.
Students also had a say in how the school was run. A School Council met weekly to plan activities. This council included seven students, three administrators, and three teachers. Local groups also helped find students and raise money. Money for the school came from many different people and groups. This included rich donors and workers' unions.
About 90 teachers taught at the school between 1921 and 1938. Many of them were women. They included union leaders and respected university professors.
What Students Learned
The school's leaders, M. Carey Thomas and Hilda Worthington Smith, wanted to bring many different people together. They believed in learning through discussion and different viewpoints. They brought together union leaders and college graduates. They also welcomed factory workers and university professors. Students came from various industries and parts of the U.S. They were from different countries and religions. One student said they were "learning toleration" by mixing with so many different people.
At first, the classes were very hard for students with little schooling. Over time, the school changed its lessons based on student feedback. By 1928, they used a "Unit Method." Classes were divided into groups of about 20 students. Each group had two full-time teachers, one for English and one for economics. A pamphlet from 1929 said they had "Small classes in Economics, English Literature, Composition, Public Speaking, Science and Psychology." They also had a tutoring system to help students learn a lot in two months.
Students did not get grades or take exams. They received a certificate of attendance at the end of the summer. Since they were adults, students were encouraged to help make decisions. They also planned activities and joined in class discussions. Teachers tried to learn about each student's background and needs.
Besides regular classes, students listened to many famous guest speakers. These included John Dewey, W.E.B. Du Bois, Frances Perkins, and Eleanor Roosevelt. They also went on field trips to museums, historical places, and factories. They took tennis and swimming lessons. The students held a yearly music festival with songs from their home countries. They also published a student magazine called Shop and School. It featured stories, poems, and jokes. When John Dewey visited in 1931, he called the school a "model of progressive education."
Welcoming All Students
In 1926, students suggested that the school admit African-American students. Hilda Worthington Smith agreed and welcomed the first five black students. This was a big step because Bryn Mawr College had never admitted a black student before. M. Carey Thomas was worried about this decision. But Smith continued to welcome black students despite these concerns.
The School's Last Years
From the very beginning, the working women at Bryn Mawr were very active. In 1921, they organized a student protest. They demanded better working conditions for the college's black maids and groundskeepers.
In the 1930s, during the Great Depression, there were more disagreements. The students were very active in workers' rights. This caused tension with the college's wealthy donors and leaders. One college leader asked, "Why should we support your organizing workers to strike our husbands' plants?"
In 1934, students and teachers visited a nearby food-packing plant. They went to observe a workers' strike. A newspaper reported that Bryn Mawr was involved in the strike. The college leaders were worried about the bad publicity. They closed the summer school for a year. It reopened in 1936, but it was hard to get money. The Bryn Mawr Summer School for Women Workers in Industry closed for good in 1938.
How the School Made a Difference
A historian named Rita Heller studied the school's students in 1982. She found that most students felt the school helped them improve their confidence and social skills. They also believed it helped them in their careers. Many students became leaders in their communities, churches, and workers' unions. For example, Elizabeth Nord became a leader in a silk workers' union. Carmen Lucia became a vice president of a hat makers' union. Rose Finkelstein Norwood led a chapter of the Women's Trade Union League.
The Bryn Mawr Summer School inspired many other worker education programs. These included schools in Wisconsin, New York, and the South.
Former students and teachers had a reunion at Bryn Mawr in 1984. Some of these women were featured in the 1985 documentary, The Women of Summer. This film won several awards.
Notable Teachers
Many important people taught at the summer school. Here are a few examples:
- Elizabeth Brandeis, an economist
- Millicent Carey, an educator
- Alice Hanson Cook, a scholar
- Paul Douglas, a politician and economist
- Esther Peterson, a consumer and women's advocate
- Mary van Kleeck, a scholar who studied women's labor
