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49-438: Milwaukee-Downer College was established in 1895 with the merger of two institutions: Milwaukee College and Downer College of Fox Lake, Wisconsin . In July 1895, Milwaukee College and Downer College merged to become Milwaukee-Downer College with Downer College's Ellen Clara Sabin 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 and

98-619: A Christian education for 2,000,000 children in our country." She made her field of labor especially in the West and South, and sought the aid of educated women throughout the United States. In 1837, Beecher retired from administrative work. After returning East she started the Ladies' Society for Promoting Education in the West. In 1847 she co-founded the Board of National Popular Education with William Slade ,

147-501: A college textbook. She was constantly making experiments, and practicing them upon the girls, weighing all their food before they ate it, holding that Graham flour and the Graham diet were better for them than richer food. Ten of her pupils invited her to dine with them at a restaurant. She accepted the invitation, and the excellent dinner changed her views. Thereafter they were served with more palatable food. In 1829 and 1830, Beecher led

196-516: A deep interest in the proper education of women, obtained contributions in the Eastern States for the establishment of schools for girls, with the plan of a faculty of co-equal teachers, sustained by endowments, each being the head of a given department. In the pursuance of this plan, Beecher provided the Milwaukee school with US$ 1,000 for library and apparatus, on conditions which gave an impetus to

245-463: A former Congressman and then governor of Vermont. In 1852 she founded the American Women's Educational Association. Their goal was to recruit and train teachers for frontier schools and send women into the West to civilize the young. Their efforts became a model for future schools developed in the West. Woman's great mission is to train immature, weak, and ignorant creatures to obey the laws of God;

294-664: A house in downtown Milwaukee. Two years later, Catharine Beecher and her associate Mary Mortimer , who had worked with Lucy at Le Roy Female Institute, became connected with the Seminary. Beecher, a reformer and eldest sister of Harriet Beecher Stowe , 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

343-466: A large number of graduates, until, in 1874, Mortimer resigned her position. The Trustees, after long and careful consideration, entered into arrangements which resulted in the installment of Prof. Charles Samuel Farrar, formerly of Vassar College , as president of the institution. He raised and expended US$ 22,000 on improvements. Mrs. Farrar served as Lady Principal. There were a corps of 16 instructors at this time. In 1874, an association of ladies

392-420: A model home from a woman's perspective. The kitchen was inspired by a cook's galley in a steamship. A movable partition on wheels provided flexibility and privacy in the small home, and also served as a wardrobe. Chapters of the book discussing ventilation and heating anticipated modern central heating. On May 12, 1878, Beecher died from apoplexy . In 1841 Beecher published A Treatise on Domestic Economy for

441-589: A women's movement to protest the Indian Removal Bill of President Andrew Jackson . The protest was the first national campaign on the part of women in the United States. In the bill, Jackson requested that Congress approve the use of federal money to resettle southeastern American Indians, including the Cherokee , to land west of the Mississippi River. In response, Beecher published a "Circular Addressed to

490-522: The Hartford Female Seminary in Hartford, Connecticut , where she taught until 1832. The private girls' school had many well-known alumnae. Comprehending the deficiencies of existing textbooks, she prepared, primarily for use in her own school, some elementary books in arithmetic, a work on theology, and one on mental and moral philosophy. The last was never published, although printed and used as

539-542: 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,

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588-586: The Milwaukee-Downer Seminary 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. Three presidents led Milwaukee-Downer College from 1895 to 1964: Ellen Clara Sabin from 1895 to 1921, Lucia Russell Briggs from 1921 to 1951, and John B. Johnson from 1951 to 1964. Under Sabin's leadership,

637-532: 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

686-552: The 1950s and early 1960s, enrollment declined in almost every year, from 278 in 1951-52 to a low of 176 in 1962-63. In 1964, the college's trustees agreed to a consolidation with Lawrence College in Appleton, Wisconsin . The 43-acre (170,000 m) campus 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

735-480: The Associate Principal, Miss L. L. Chamberlain, and other teachers, laid a foundation for education. Their aim was to establish a permanent institution for the thorough education of young ladies. In the second year, the school opened in more commodious quarters on the corner of Milwaukee and Oneida streets, with an enlarged corps of instructors and a Board of Trustees. At this time, Catharine E. Beecher, having

784-460: The Benevolent Ladies of the U. States", dated December 25, 1829, calling on women to send petitions to Congress protesting the removal. In the circular, she wrote, "It has become almost a certainty that these people are to have their lands torn from them, and to be driven into western wilds and to final annihilation, unless the feelings of a humane and Christian nation shall be aroused to prevent

833-554: The College Home was erected, north of the main building, which later became occupied as a home for the teachers and pupils from a distance. In 1863, the continued pressure of adverse times occasioned the withdrawal of the ladies in charge, and Prof. S. S. Sherman assumed the control of the college. The three years of his connection with the college were prosperous. Through the efforts of the Trustees, repairs and improvements were made in

882-550: The Use of Young Ladies at Home and at School , a book that discussed the underestimated importance of women's roles in society. The book was edited and re-released the following year in its final form. Catharine Beecher was a strong advocate of the inclusion of daily physical education in women's schooling, and developed a program of calisthenics performed to music. In 1831, Catharine Beecher suggested that teachers read aloud to students from passages by writers with elegant styles, "to accustom

931-461: The annual number of pupils averaging 250. The financial crisis of 1857 had an effect upon the college, and combined with the opening of the High School, to weaken its support. Mortimer, unable to carry out her plans in Milwaukee, and invited by an opening elsewhere, withdrew from the college, leaving it under the management of Miss Mary E. Chapin and Miss Caroline E. Chapin. During their administration,

980-487: The buildings, the library increased, and philosophical, chemical and astronomical apparatus added. Beecher, however, took the ground that the change in the management of the college, was a departure from the original plan and intention of its founders, and a violation of agreement, and in 1866, on behalf of the Educational Association, she entered a protest against the continuance of this management, which occasioned

1029-468: The college an astronomical telescope, and in the following year William P. McLaren, of Milwaukee, furnished the money for the erection of an astronomical observatory, fully equipped with instruments. From 1874 till 1877, the regular attendance had grown from 100 to nearly 300. After the death of Mortimer in that year, a fund was established in the honor of her memory, by the Alumnæ, and her personal friends, for

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1078-443: 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

1127-905: The corner stone of the new building was laid. In the Autumn of 1852, the school was opened in the yet unfinished building. Beecher's plan of various departments, each with an independent head, assumed more definite form. The Board of Instruction was made up as follows: Mary Mortimer, Department of Superintending Instruction and Teacher of Normal School; Mrs. L. A. Parsons, Department of Classification and Arrangement and Teacher of Geography, History, Mental and Moral Sciences; Miss A. Loomis, Department of Government and Teacher of Mathematics and Natural Science; Miss J. Millard, Department of Finance and Correspondence and Teacher of Language, Literature, etc.; Miss E. B. Warner, Department of Primary Instruction; together with Instructors in Languages, Music and Drawing, and assistants in

1176-530: The daughter of minister and religious leader Lyman Beecher and Roxana (Foote) Beecher. Among her siblings were writer and abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe , along with clergymen Henry Ward Beecher and Charles Beecher . Beecher was educated at home until she was ten years old, when she was sent to Litchfield Female Academy in Litchfield, Connecticut . She taught herself subjects not commonly offered to women, including math, Latin, and philosophy. She took over

1225-441: The development of an extended plan for the physical, social, intellectual, and moral education of women, to be promoted through a national board. For nearly 40 years, she labored perseveringly in this work, organizing societies for training teachers, establishing plans for supplying the territories with good educators, writing, pleading, and traveling. Her object, as she described it, was "to unite American women in an effort to provide

1274-572: The domestic duties of her household at the age of 16, following her mother's death. In 1821, Beecher founded a school for women in New Haven, Connecticut . Catharine was engaged to marry Alexander M. Fisher, head of the Mathematics Department at Yale College , but he died at sea before the wedding took place. She never married. To provide educational opportunities for others, in 1823 Beecher and her sister, Mary Foote Beecher Perkins, co-founded

1323-660: 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, US$ 17,894 was received from her friends in the East and the American Woman's Educational Association ; Milwaukeeans raised another $ 13,540; and a permanent home for the school was commissioned on the corner of Juneau Avenue and Milwaukee Street (near

1372-546: The ear to the measurement of the sentences and the peculiar turns of expression". She went on to have the students imitate the piece just read using similar words, style, and turns of phrase in order to develop "a ready command of the language and easy modes of expression". In 1846, Beecher pronounced that women, not men, should educate children, and established schools for training teachers in Western cities. She advocated that young ladies find godly work as Christian teachers away from

1421-453: The efforts of the citizens in behalf of the school. In March 1851, a charter was granted to the institution, under the name of the Milwaukee Normal Institute and High School , and in the succeeding summer, the first graduating class of two members received their diplomas. In May 1852, the Woman's Educational Association of New York adopted Beecher's plan as their own, and the combined exertions of

1470-532: The establishment of women's colleges in Burlington, Iowa ; Quincy, Illinois ; and Milwaukee, Wisconsin . Beecher strongly supported allowing children to simply be children and not prematurely forcing adulthood onto them. She believed that children lacked the experience needed to make important life decisions and that in order for them to become healthy self-sufficient adults, they needed to be allowed to express themselves freely in an environment suited to children. It

1519-500: The fifth and sixth to the History of Painting, and the seventh is occupied with the History of Architecture. This class, assembling each week during the Winter, proved a stimulus to research and a strong influence in the guidance of interest in art. A valuable art library was collected by the class, to which additions were made. In 1875, Hon. Hiram Barber , of Horicon, Wisconsin presented to

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1568-468: The first influx of settlers in Milwaukee, the demand for suitable education for the children became urgent. To meet this need, supplied previously only by small private schools, the "Milwaukee Female Seminary" was opened on the September 14, 1848, by Mrs. L. A. Parsons, whose husband, Rev. W. L. Parsons, was, at that time, pastor of the Free Congregational Church in Milwaukee. Mrs. Parsons, with

1617-482: The groundwork for a lot of future Family and Consumer Science Education. Many of her books like the Domestic Receipt Book helped people to learn how to manage their household budgets with ease. Beecher recognized public schools' responsibility to influence the moral, physical, and intellectual development of children. She promoted the expansion and development of teacher training programs, holding that teaching

1666-483: The immediate and voluntary resignation of Prof. Sherman. In the Autumn of 1866, the school opened with Mortimer once more at the head, and with the various departments divided and officered as originally intended. In the following year, an addition was made in the rear of the main building, for use as a gymnasium, the expense defrayed by subscriptions amounting to US$ 3,000 . For eight years, the college remained under Mortimer's supervision, with continued usefulness, and with

1715-611: The larger Eastern cities. The Board of National Popular Education, which was her idea, trained teachers in four-week sessions in Connecticut and then sent them out West. She believed that women had a higher calling to shape children and society. Along with a Treatise on Domestic Economy for the Use of Young Ladies at Home and at School, Beecher also published The Duty of American Women to Their Country in 1845 and The Domestic Receipt Book in 1846. Beecher's views on education and women's work were also somewhat contradictory. She believed in

1764-402: The physical, the intellectual, the social, and the moral. It was claimed that hundreds of the best teachers the West received were sent under the patronage of this system. To a certain extent the plans succeeded, and were found beneficial, but the careers of the teachers were mostly short, for they soon married. In The American Woman's Home , published in 1869, Beecher and her sister presented

1813-401: The preparedness of female teachers to aid in their teaching of children from unfortunate homes. At the same time, she worked to teach mothers how to care for their families. The education of females to be teachers of troubled children and also homemakers who care for and teach their families are at a counterbalance. Beecher did a lot of work as a writer to educate the general public. Beecher laid

1862-589: 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. Milwaukee College Milwaukee College began as the Milwaukee Female Seminary founded by Lucy A. (nee, Seymour) Parsons, of Le Roy Female Institute . She was the wife of Rev. W. L. Parsons, pastor of Milwaukee's Free Congregational church. The school opened on September 14, 1848, in

1911-484: The purchase of the Mary Mortimer Memorial Library, the nucleus being a collection of books bequeathed by herself. In 1879, an additional building was erected on the college grounds, containing a large hall for elocutionary and gymnastic exercises, two studios for the art department and other rooms. The college has also received various gifts in addition to the cabinet and library. The Alethean Society

1960-475: 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. 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. In July 1895, Milwaukee College and Downer College merged to become Milwaukee-Downer College . After

2009-521: The study of important authors helped students acquire writing skills. Beecher founded The American Woman's Educational Association in 1852, an organization focused on furthering educational opportunities for women. She also founded the Western Female Institute in Cincinnati (along with her father Lyman) and The Ladies Society for Promoting Education in the West . She was also instrumental in

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2058-505: The unhallowed sacrifice." Congress nevertheless passed the bill, and the Indian Removal Act became law on May 28, 1830. In 1832, Beecher moved with her father to Walnut Hills, Cincinnati , where he became head of the new Lane Seminary , to campaign for more schools and teachers in the frontier. There she opened a female seminary, which, on account of her failing health, was discontinued after two years. She then devoted herself to

2107-461: The various departments. Mortimer, previously connected with the school as a teacher, became from this time closely identified with its interests for many years. In April 1853, the name of the Institution was changed by act of Legislature to Milwaukee Female College ; a further change at a later date leaving the name simply Milwaukee College . For several years the school made continued progress,

2156-538: The women of this Association and of the people of Milwaukee resulted in the purchase of new grounds on the corner of Milwaukee and Division streets, and in the erection of the main building of the college. Money collected at the East and expended for library and apparatus, for part purchase of land, teachers' salaries, and various expenses connected with the college totaled US$ 17,894 . Money contributed by citizens of Milwaukee for part purchase of land, erection of building and other expenses totaled US$ 13,540 . In June 1852,

2205-530: Was a voluntary organization of the students of the collegiate classes for literary improvement. The attendance during the school year of 1880-81 was as follows: Regular students, 220; students in Art, Languages and Music, 140; ladies of the Art and Science class, 82. In July 1895, Milwaukee College and Downer College merged to become Milwaukee-Downer College. American Woman%27s Educational Association Catharine Esther Beecher (September 6, 1800 – May 12, 1878)

2254-483: 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 education. She published the advice manual The American Woman's Home with her sister Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1869. Some sources spell her first name as "Catherine". Beecher was born September 6, 1800, in East Hampton, New York ,

2303-515: Was formed under the name of the Ladies' Art and Science Class, for purposes of study and discussion, with the co-operation and assistance of President Farrar. This organization grew from year to year in numbers and interest. The first year was devoted to the History of Theoretic Chemistry, the second to the History of the Applications of Chemistry to the Arts, the third and fourth to the History of Sculpture,

2352-405: Was more important to society than lawyers or doctors. Beecher was a strong advocate of the inclusion of daily physical education, and developed a program of calisthenics that was performed to music. She also firmly believed in the benefits of reading aloud. Catherine Beecher believed that tight corsets and bad eating habits ruined the young women's health. She believed the primary purpose of education

2401-641: Was to develop a young child's basis for their conscience and morals. Beecher believed that women have inherent qualities that make them the preferred gender as teachers. As men left teaching to pursue business and industry, she saw the untapped potential of educated women and encouraged education of women to fill the increasing need for teachers. She considered women natural teachers, with teaching as an extension of their domestic role. In 1862, John Brinsley recommended that students analyze and imitate classical Greek and Latin models, while Beecher recommended English writers. They both believed that frequent practice and

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