Abstract

Not in the Kitchen Anymore?: The Middle Class Intentions for the Milwaukee School of Trades for Girls

In 1909 the Milwaukee School of Trades for Girls opened its doors becoming the first public vocational high school for girls in the United States. While education historians have given treatment to vocational education, most examples and analysis has focused on males or the “boy problem” in education. There are few sources that examine the “girl problem” or even acknowledge that there may have been one. The reform of girls’ education to focus on house and home aligns with the Progressive Era movements to eliminate poverty. Using the words of the Milwaukee Public School Board, school documents, local newspapers, and the personal papers of Elizabeth Black Kander, one of the main activists for the school, this paper explores the intentions these people had in founding a public vocational high school for girls., Women’s vocational training at the Milwaukee School of Trades for Girls went beyond shaping citizens and workers in the middle-class image; it was about fashioning the future wives and mothers in the middle-class ideal.

It's Over

Well my semester is over, and I am sitting here waiting for one of the schools that I work for to fix their email system so I can access late student work, grade it, and recalculate a few students' grades. Overall this semester should not have been anything too different from last year. I mean last year I had one less job, but one more class, plus I got married during the middle of one of the semesters. Yet this fall I just seemed to slack off more, rather than focusing more. It makes me scared for what the next few years hold. I have to take stock in the fact that I have completed 24 doctoral credits, have six more waiting for me this spring, leaving me with 15-18 left of course work to go, ever! After that I have my doctoral qualifying exams and dissertation to complete which equal another 12-15 credits. All total I need 60 credits to graduate, and I am still on schedule to graduate in May of 2012. I know my ticker on the bottom of the page is not correct, but the site did not have enough digit spaces to put in 2012 as a year. To give you all a treat, here is the conclusion to my 25 pager:


"While some of these activities, such as the shorted lived John Muir Club, were representative of the time, yearbook, newspaper, and sports are staples of the traditional American high school experience. These were all fully represented at GTTHS, in a time when not all of these activities were available even to other high school girls within the same city. Milwaukee Girls’ Trade and Technical High School, because of its nature as an all girls’ school, was able to more quickly respond to the needs of its students. Rather than be an institution of repression, the development of clubs and other activities was progressive in responding to the needs of its students. These activities, though an extension of the curriculum and social life of the women, were vital to the development of the future wives, mothers, and employees that were enrolled."


I know that you were hanging with baited breath to figure out what I had found this semester.

2 Weeks and Counting...

With two weeks left in the semester here is a list of things to be done by December 12th:

• 10 page paper on the AAGPBL - due Friday December 5th at noon. (I have 4 pages typed so far.)


• 25 page paper on GTTHS's extracurricular activities - defended December 4th, submitted December 11th. (I have 7 pages so far.)


• 5 page take home final exam - due Friday December 12th at 3:30.


• Grade 21 final unit lesson plans by December 12th, they are due Sunday December 7th.


• Finish grading 15 2 page papers by tomorrow.


• Grade 33 3-5 page essays, ASAP.


• Grade 33 writing portfolios by Friday December 12th.


• Select three portfolios to share with writing faculty: one A portfolio, one C portfolio, and one failing portfolio.


• Submit all of the above grades for the lesson plans and portfolios.


• Type up 20 pages of hand written notes and submit to my cooperating professor, then begin hunting through the microfilm for stories about the school board I have been researching for him.

This is all in the next two weeks. I am already tired just writing it out.

On a more positive note I found a cartoon that best describes one of my positions here at the university.

High School Sports

I have been trying to squeeze in as much time as I can find at our local historical society that has information on my school. I have a paper due at the end of November and I am focusing on the extracurricular activities that were available to the students from its inception in 1909 through WWII (a parameter set by my cooperating professor). I have found a number of interesting things about this school:

• The girls canceled their prom in 1943 and used the money to buy war bonds.


• The school had intramural basketball teams as early as 1927.


• By 1930 there were three intramural sports.


• By 1934 there was an athletic club that sponsored volleyball, basketball, baseball, tennis, swimming, and ping pong.

What is great about this, is that it was all prior to Title IX. Most people think that the only "sports" girls had open to them were cheerleading and majorette/drill team. There seems to be a decline in female sports at co-ed schools that is fueling my research.

On a lighter note, I found this comic amusing, and sadly so very true, based on the university that I am attached to. However I am grateful that we do not have a football team.

Research...

I finally made it down to the county historical society's temporary location to begin going through the two boxes they have that are all about Girls' Trade and Tech. I spent most of the afternoon reading through the alumnae association's newsletters. This semester I have to deliver a 25 page paper on the school for a seminar course. I have decided to focus on the extra curricular activities that the girls were involved in throughout the 46 years that it was in operation. I have a some good leads on operettas, pageants, and a track team! I have just started digging, and hope to get back there before this coming Saturday.

Again, I have another PhD Comic attached that has really hit home this week. I keep trying to stay up to grade papers, prep for class, or read for my other course.

The Gods are Smiling

I won't go into my unresolved issues with faculty members, or even how I shoved my foot in my mouth with her and almost lost my funding. I am just too happy right now.

First, the gods have completed the freeway interchange that is right on campus and they personally put an exit and entrance ramp in the perfect spot for me to get around. If there was little traffic on the freeway, it would only take me 10 minutes to get to campus.

Second, in my undergraduate years my friends and I frequented the Dairy Queen on campus. Sadly it was replaced by a George Webbs. Now, while I don't mind a Webbs, it just isn't the same. But yesterday, the gods were smiling and Webbs is now a Qdoba. For those of you who don't know me, or at least not that well, I could eat Qdoba at least four to five days a week. Mmmmm...............Qdoba.

Thirdly, and most importantly, I have started classes for this semester. In my research course we had a gentleman from the county historical society come and talk to us about what type of collections they have. When I asked him about my particular school that I want to research, he informed me that a woman stopped by over the summer and dropped a whole series of records off for them. To put the icing on the cake, they also have a very active alumni group in the area that was holding the collection of pieces. Jackpot!!!!! I felt bad for the poor kids in the class who got more vague responses than I.

I did find it funny when he talked about a the Milwaukee Chicks who were a member of the AAGPBL. I never knew that Milwaukee had a team in this fabled league, if only for a year, and would love to look more into women's access to sports in the city of Milwaukee pre-Title IX. I guess that will have to wait until after I am done with my first project.

Excitement and Frustration

Frustration:
I am trying to keep this blog about my schoolwork, and not my personal life, but that is very tough sometimes. I feel like I should have another place to rant and rave about what is going on in my head, but I know more than anything that it would alienate me more from my friends because of the way that I am feeling at this current moment.

Excitement:
The yearbooks came! I have both the 1936 and 1938 yearbooks from the Girls' Trade and Technology High in Milwaukee. From just looking over them the last two days I already have chapters of my dissertation floating in my head: curricula, activities, sports! It is really very exciting. Almost too exciting, mainly because I still have three papers to finish by next week to end this semester. Even more exciting is that both of these yearbooks belonged to a woman by the name of Dorothy June Fleischmann. Even better, she wrote her address in one of them! I am not wholly sure what to do with this information other than share it with people who might be interested in my dorkish pursuits. I will hopefully scan some images soon to share the 1930s style of the book.