Annah May Soule (September 5, 1859 – March 17, 1905) was a professor of American history and political economy at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts.

Early life

Annah May Soule was born in Port Huron, Michigan, and raised in Jackson, Michigan, the daughter of Major Harrison Soule and Mary E. Parker Soule. She had an older sister, Mary Eva Soule Clark (1857–1946). Harrison Soule was an officer in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

when Annah and her sister were small. After the war, he served as treasurer at the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

. Soule trained as a teacher at the state normal school in

Ypsilanti, Michigan Ypsilanti (), commonly shortened to Ypsi, is a city in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 20,648. The city is bounded to the north by Superior Township and on the west, south, an ...

, then studied law, history, and economics at the University of Michigan, where she earned a bachelor's degree (1894) and a master's degree (1895). Her master's thesis work was published as two monographs, ''The International Boundary of Michigan'' (1895) and ''The Southern and Western Boundaries of Michigan'' (1896). She also presented on her research at the Michigan Political Science Association meeting in 1896.

Career

Soule taught in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and at the State Normal School at

Mankato, Minnesota Mankato ( ) is a city in Blue Earth, Nicollet, and Le Sueur counties in the state of Minnesota. The population was 44,488 according to the 2020 census, making it the 21st-largest city in Minnesota, and the 5th-largest outside of the Minnea ...

, as a young woman. She was a professor of American history and political economy at Mount Holyoke College from 1896 until her death in 1905. Her courses were considered innovative in their approach; for example, she assigned students to read ''

The Souls of Black Folk ''The Souls of Black Folk: Essays and Sketches'' is a 1903 work of American literature by W. E. B. Du Bois. It is a seminal work in the history of sociology and a cornerstone of African-American literature. The book contains several essays on r ...

'' by W. E. B. Du Bois, and to tour a factory and write a report about their findings. One of her students was Frances Perkins, later U. S. Secretary of Labor, who remembered Soule's economic history course as a significant influence. "I think she... opened the door to the idea that... the lack of comfort and security in some people was not solely due to the fact that they drank, which had been the prevailing view in my parental society." Soule was elected vice president of the New England History Teachers Association in 1901. Her preserved correspondence includes letters from

Susan B. Anthony Susan B. Anthony (born Susan Anthony; February 15, 1820 – March 13, 1906) was an American social reformer and women's rights activist who played a pivotal role in the women's suffrage movement. Born into a Quaker family committed to s ...

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...

, and W. E. B. Du Bois.

Personal life

Annah May Soule died in 1905 in

Marion, Ohio Marion is a city in and the county seat of Marion County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in north-central Ohio, approximately north of Columbus. The population was 35,999 at the 2020 census, slightly down from 36,837 at the ...

, in her mid-forties. Her papers, including letters, photographs, and student work, are archived at Mount Holyoke College.

References

External links

*
The Online Books Page for Annah May Soule

a tribute issue of ''The Mount Holyoke'' (1905). * Anna Bristol
"The Soule of an Educator and her Family"
''Soule Kindred Newsletter'' (Fall 2013): 5–7. {{DEFAULTSORT:Soule, Annah May People from Port Huron, Michigan University of Michigan alumni Mount Holyoke College faculty 1905 deaths 1859 births Year of birth uncertain