Evanston College for Ladies facts for kids
The Evanston College for Ladies was a special school for women in Evanston, Illinois. It existed from 1871 to 1873. Girls who went there also took classes at Northwestern University. They lived at the college and took extra classes like art, foreign languages, and even how to run a home. The main goal of the Evanston College for Ladies was to give young women the same chances to learn at Northwestern University that young men had. The college joined with Northwestern University on June 25, 1873.
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Starting the College
The Evanston College for Ladies opened its doors in the fall of 1871. About 236 young women signed up to be students. This new school wanted to give women the same great learning chances that Northwestern University offered to its male students. It also provided a safe home where female staff looked after the women's health, good behavior, and morals.
The Evanston College for Ladies took the place of another school called the Northwestern Female College. The change happened smoothly. The new college even accepted students who had gone to the old school.
Frances Willard's Role
Frances Willard was chosen to be the new president of the College. She started raising money to build the new school. A big party was held on July 4, 1871, called a "Ladies’ Fourth of July." This event helped raise some of the money. The day had fun activities like baseball games, comedy shows, a parade, and even the laying of the first stone for the new building.
Even though this event and other efforts were successful, a big problem came up. The Great Chicago Fire in 1871 caused many people who had promised money to lose a lot of their own money. So, the college needed new ways to get funds. A man named Stephen Lunt helped out by giving $50,000. This money came from selling land in Rogers Park, Chicago.
Who Led the College
The Evanston College for Ladies was special because it had an all-female leadership team. This was important because the school's goal was to have women direct and control the education for girls.
The main leaders were:
- Frances E. Willard: College President
- Elizabeth M. Greenleaf: President of the Board
- Mary F. Haven: Treasurer
- Anna S. Marcy: Recording Secretary
The College was very proud of its all-women teachers. The graduating class of 1871 was the first to get diplomas from women and to hear their graduation speech given by a woman.
Frances Willard's Journey
Before she became a famous suffragist (someone who fought for women's right to vote) and reformer, Frances E. Willard was a schoolteacher. Becoming the first president of the Evanston College for Ladies in 1871 was the start of her becoming well-known. Because she led the College, more and more people in the community started to notice her.
Willard also hired several important teachers for the College:
- Emma B. White: She received an honorary diploma and was the secretary for the College Board of Trustees.
- Hannah Maria Pettingill: She was hired as an art teacher in 1871.
- Ada Frances Brigham: She was a former student of Willard's and later became a professor at the College.
- Katharine Jackson: Willard’s longtime friend, she taught French and literature.
What Students Learned
The main reason for the Evanston College for Ladies was to add to what women learned at Northwestern University. Young women at the college lived there and were looked after by staff. Students usually took science and classical courses at Northwestern University. They got extra education from the Evanston College for Ladies. The college also had a program to help students get ready for college, which was open to both boys and girls.
The courses offered included:
- Fine arts
- Foreign languages
- Kindergarten teaching
- Housekeeping
Students could also earn a special degree called a Baccalaureate of Arts. This was through a "Historical and Aesthetic Course of Study," which mostly included history and foreign language classes.
The college also made sure students had interesting talks every week. These talks covered many topics, from how to dress to staying healthy. As part of their learning, students listened to a female doctor talk about health and hygiene. They also went to church every Sunday. On Friday afternoons, young men and women from Evanston and Chicago came to the College chapel to hear different lectures.
Joining Northwestern University
The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 caused big problems for the Evanston College for Ladies. Many people who had promised money to help pay the college's debts could no longer afford to pay. Because of this, the Evanston College for Ladies gave its property and management to Northwestern University in 1873.
Northwestern University agreed to take on the College's debts. They also promised to include at least five women on the University’s Board of Trustees (the group that makes big decisions for the university).
The Evanston College for Ladies then became known as the Women’s College of Northwestern University. Frances E. Willard, who was the president of the College, became the Dean of Women and a professor at Northwestern.
The Women’s College of Northwestern University kept offering art and college prep programs. But its main job became providing meals, housing, and supervision for Northwestern’s female students. In 1892, people at Northwestern suggested changing the name from "Women’s College" to "Women’s Hall." In 1901, the building was finally named Willard Hall, and it still has that name today. In 1940, Willard Hall became a building for music administration at Northwestern University. In 2015, the building became empty when the Bienen School of Music moved to a new campus building.
Notable People
- Marion Murdoch (born 1849), a minister
- Minerva Brace Norton (1837-1894), an American teacher and writer
- Mary Bannister Willard (1841-1912), an editor, temperance worker (someone who worked to stop alcohol use), and teacher; she was Frances Willard's sister-in-law
Images for kids
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Willard Hall served as a music administration building on Northwestern University's campus from 1940 to 2015.
