Mary Bernard Aguirre (June 23, 1844 – May 24, 1906) was a public schoolteacher and instructor at the University of Arizona.

Early life

Bernard Aguirre was born in St. Louis, Missouri. She was the daughter of a wealthy merchant, Joab Bernard (1800–1879) and Arabella Mather Bier Bernard (1816–1899). For the first twelve years of her life the family resided in

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...

, the birthplace of Mary's mother. In 1856 the Bernard family moved to Westport, Missouri, where Mary's father owned a large store. Bernard Aguirre went to college at the age of seventeen; this would prove to be a critical period of her life, as she lived through many moments that eventually changed her views towards people of other races. She heard the

rifle A rifle is a long-barreled firearm designed for accurate shooting, with a barrel that has a helical pattern of grooves ( rifling) cut into the bore wall. In keeping with their focus on accuracy, rifles are typically designed to be held with ...

shot that killed abolitionist

John Brown John Brown most often refers to: *John Brown (abolitionist) (1800–1859), American who led an anti-slavery raid in Harpers Ferry, Virginia in 1859 John Brown or Johnny Brown may also refer to: Academia * John Brown (educator) (1763–1842), Ir ...

in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. When Mary Bernard returned home from

later that same year, the American Civil War broke out, and she became a supporter of the Southern cause.

Personal life

Mary Bernard married a

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

freighting Cargo consists of bulk goods conveyed by water, air, or land. In economics, freight is cargo that is transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. ''Cargo'' was originally a shipload but now covers all types of freight, including transp ...

contractor, Epifanio Aguirre, on August 21, 1862 in Westport. The Aguirres had three sons: Pedro, (born 1863), Epifanio Jr. (born 1865) and Stephen (born 1867). Bernard Aguirre's family moved to the Southwest in 1863. They traveled from Missouri to Las Cruces, New Mexico, with a stop in Santa Fe. Mary kept a journal of her family's travels across the

Great Plains The Great Plains (french: Grandes Plaines), sometimes simply "the Plains", is a broad expanse of flatland in North America. It is located west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, an ...

. In August 1869, the Aguirres set foot in Tucson. In January 1870, Epifanio Sr. was killed during an

Apache The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño an ...

raid of a

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near Sasabe, Arizona. In economic straits, Bernard Aguirre saw herself forced to return home to Missouri and live with her parents.

Career

In 1874, Mary Bernard Aguirre returned to Tucson, having accepted a job as a teacher in Tres Alamos. She taught in Tucson-area public schools, including the Tucson Public School for Girls, for four years. During this time, Bernard Aguirre advocated for public education against the prevailing inclination among

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towards homeschooling. In 1878, she became the first teacher in Arivaca, sixty miles south of Tucson; during her tenure she was recruited to teach at the fledgling University of Arizona. She became chair of the Spanish language and English history departments at the University of Arizona in 1885. She was the university's first female professor, and resigned from the post in 1901. In 1906, Mary Bernard Aguirre was injured in a Pullman train crash in California. On May 24, 1906, two weeks after the accident, she died of internal injuries.

Legacy

*To honor her work during the early years of the school, the University of Arizona currently awards a Women's and Gender Studies professorship in Aguirre's name. *In 1983 she was inducted into the Arizona Women's Hall of Fame.

References

Other sources

*Leo Banks (2001) ''Stalwart Women: Frontier Stories of Indomitable Spirit'' (Arizona Highways) () *Annette Gray (2004) ''Journey of the Heart: The True Story of Mamie Aguirre (1844-1906), A Southern Belle in the Wild West'' (Graytwest Books)

External links

Mary (Mamie) Bernard Aguirre
University of Arizona, Women's Plaza of Honor {{DEFAULTSORT:Bernard Aguirre, Mary 1844 births 1906 deaths Educators from St. Louis People from Arizona Territory Schoolteachers from Arizona University of Arizona faculty Educators from Kansas City, Missouri 19th-century American educators People from Tucson, Arizona Educators from Baltimore 20th-century American educators 19th-century American women educators 20th-century American women educators American women academics