Milwaukee-Downer College was a women's college in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in operation from 1895 to 1964.

History

Milwaukee-Downer College was established in 1895 with the merger of two institutions: Milwaukee College and

Downer College Downer College was a women's college in Fox Lake, Wisconsin, chartered in 1855 and opening in September, 1856. History It was founded in 1854 as Wisconsin Female College under the auspices of the Wisconsin Baptist Convention to prepare women for m ...

of Fox Lake, Wisconsin. Milwaukee College began as the Milwaukee Female Seminary founded by Mrs. W. L. Parsons, wife of the pastor of the Free Congregational church. It opened on Sept. 14, 1848, in a house in downtown Milwaukee. Two years later Catharine Beecher and her associate

Mary Mortimer Mary Mortimer (December 2, 1816 – July 14, 1877) was a British-born American educator. She served as principal of the Milwaukee Female College and other women's educational institutions. When just a child, Mortimer and her family emigrated fro ...

became connected with the Seminary. Beecher, a reformer and eldest sister of

Harriet Beecher Stowe Harriet Elisabeth Beecher Stowe (; June 14, 1811 – July 1, 1896) was an American author and abolitionist. She came from the religious Beecher family and became best known for her novel ''Uncle Tom's Cabin'' (1852), which depicts the harsh ...

, had designed "The Beecher Plan" for educating women through the college level for professions. She was invited to launch her plan in Milwaukee and came there first in April, 1850. "The Beecher Plan" focused on four professions most open to women: teaching, child care, nursing, and "conservation of the domestic state". The school was incorporated in March, 1851, as the Milwaukee Normal Institute and High School, and moved to new quarters. In 1852, through the influence of Beecher, $17,894 was received from her friends in the East and the

American Woman's Educational Association Catharine Esther Beecher (September 6, 1800 – May 12, 1878) was an American educator known for her forthright opinions on female education as well as her vehement support of the many benefits of the incorporation of kindergarten into children's ...

; Milwaukeeans raised another $13,540; and a permanent home for the school was commissioned on the corner of Juneau Avenue and Milwaukee Street (near the site later to be occupied by the Milwaukee School of Engineering). The school opened there in the fall of 1852, though the building was not yet finished.Watrous, Jerome A., ed.
Memoirs of Milwaukee County
'. Madison: Western Historical Association, 1909, pp. 424-425. By act of the legislature the name was changed in April, 1853, to Milwaukee Female College. In March 1876 the name was changed to Milwaukee College. Wisconsin Female College was founded in Fox Lake, Wisconsin in 1855. In 1889, its name was changed to Downer College in honor of trustee and benefactor

Jason Downer Jason Downer (September 9, 1813September 1, 1883) was a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. He was the first editor of the Milwaukee Sentinel when it became a daily in 1844, but quit after a half year, returning to the law. He served on the Wi ...

. In July 1895, Milwaukee College and Downer College merged to become Milwaukee-Downer College with Downer College's

Ellen Clara Sabin Ellen Clara Sabin (November 29, 1850 – February 3, 1949; also known as Ella) was the president of the Milwaukee-Downer College in the U.S. state of Wisconsin from 1891 to 1921. She was a well-known advocate for the education of women. Sabin dev ...

as president. A new site was chosen on a tract of about ten acres on the northern end of the city of Milwaukee, halfway between

Lake Michigan Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that o ...

and the Milwaukee River. Two buildings (Merrill and Holton Halls) were constructed, and were first occupied in September, 1899, when Milwaukee-Downer opened in its new quarters. In 1901 a residence hall for students in the college department was completed. According to the report of the state superintendent of public instruction for 1906 the college had 356 students, 32 instructors, and owned property valued at $354,787. In 1910, the

Milwaukee-Downer Seminary Milwaukee-Downer Seminary was a private girls' junior high and high school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was separated from Milwaukee-Downer College in 1910 (prior to that date it was the pre-collegiate section of the college); and added seventh and ...

high school was separated from the College (prior to that date it was the pre-collegiate section of the College), although a separate corporation was not obtained until 1933.

Leadership

Three presidents led Milwaukee-Downer College from 1895 to 1964: Ellen Clara Sabin from 1895 to 1921,

Lucia Russell Briggs Lucia may refer to: Arts and culture * ''Lucía'', a 1968 Cuban film by Humberto Solás * ''Lucia'' (film), a 2013 Kannada-language film * '' Lucia & The Best Boys'', a Scottish indie rock band formerly known as ''LUCIA'' * "Lucia", a Swedish c ...

from 1921 to 1951, and John B. Johnson from 1951 to 1964. Under Sabin's leadership, the college established a curriculum emphasizing the liberal arts and the cultivation of moral and religious values. Two of the college's long-lasting curricular specializations were home economics and occupational therapy. The program in home economics was established in 1901, and the occupational therapy program was one of the first in the country, established in 1918-1919. Enrollment peaked during Lucia Briggs' tenure at 444 students in the 1946-47 scholastic year. Briggs was succeeded by John B. Johnson, a political science professor with teaching and administrative experience at only one place, Park College in Parkville, Missouri, before coming to Milwaukee-Downer. Under Johnson, the number of men on the faculty increased in almost every year, and the residence halls were closed to women faculty. Johnson also initiated a policy of hiring part-time, ''ad hoc'' faculty to teach one or two courses. Through the 1950s and early 1960s, enrollment declined in almost every year, from 278 in 1951-52 to a low of 176 in 1962-63.

Consolidation

In 1964, the college's trustees agreed to a consolidation with Lawrence College in Appleton, Wisconsin. The

campus A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a college campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls, student centers or dining halls, and park-like se ...

was sold to the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, and 49 female students and 21 faculty members transferred to Lawrence. Buildings and land from its former campus still form part of the present-day campus of the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. At Lawrence, some Milwaukee-Downer traditions have been adopted, such as the assignment of class colors.

Notable people

Elda Emma Anderson Elda Emma Anderson (October 5, 1899 – April 17, 1961) was an American physicist and health researcher. During World War II, she worked on the Manhattan Project at Princeton University and the Los Alamos National Laboratory, where she prepared ...

(1899-1961), professor of physics, health physics pioneer, isolated uranium-235 as part of Manhattan Project * Helen Daniels Bader (1927-1978), alumna, philanthropist and businesswoman. *

Ethelwynn Rice Beckwith Mary Ethelwynn Rice Beckwith (January 7, 1879 – August 31, 1955) was an American mathematics educator. She held a PhD in economics from Radcliffe College, and taught for over forty years, at the Emma Willard School, Western Reserve University, ...

(1879-1955), taught mathematics and astronomy at Milwaukee-Downer from 1925 to 1947 * Emily Hale (1891-1969), speech and drama teacher long associated with

T. S. Eliot Thomas Stearns Eliot (26 September 18884 January 1965) was a poet, essayist, publisher, playwright, literary critic and editor.Bush, Ronald. "T. S. Eliot's Life and Career", in John A Garraty and Mark C. Carnes (eds), ''American National Biogr ...

(1816–1877), British-born American educator *

Ellen Torelle Nagler Ellen Torelle Nagler (, Torelle; June 11, 1870 – August 14, 1965) was an American biologist, author, and lecturer. She originated a method of teaching science whereby her presentation of the subject followed a definite order of procedure; each o ...

(1870–1965), American biologist, author, lecturer *

Minerva Brace Norton Minerva Brace Norton (, Brace; January 7, 1837 - October 2, 1894) was an American educator and writer. She was from her early youth until her last days a constant contributor to periodical literature. For most of her life, she also filled the role ...

(1837-1894), American educator and author * Emma May Alexander Reinertsen (1853–1920), writer, social reformer * Liz Richardson (1918–1945), Red Cross volunteer and clubmobiler in WW2

References

External links