By the Staff of the Frances Willard House Museum and WCTU Archives In the August 29, 2023 issue of Chicago Magazine, Edward Robert McClelland advocated, somewhat lightheartedly, for replacing the statue of Frances Willard in National Statuary Hall with a figure that would better represent “modern Illinois.” While the two women he suggests as replacements – poet Gwendolyn … Read more
During summer 2023, the Frances Willard House Museum and WCTU Archives highlighted stories of women’s mobility and travel on tours and social media. Many artifacts, documents, and photographs in our collection provide insight into the ways in which women crossed borders, transcended boundaries, and formed wide-ranging coalitions. The first collection item we shared was Frances … Read more
This summer, the Frances Willard House Museum is highlighting stories of women’s mobility and travel. Many items on display at the Museum provide insight into the ways in which women crossed borders, transcended boundaries, and formed wide-ranging coalitions. The research and initial draft for this blogpost were done by Britt Fagerstrom, Luke Eberts, and Jessica … Read more
By Janet Olson, Archivist See Part 1 and Part 2 in this series for the beginning of the story. The Evanston College for Ladies (ECL), founded by the Women’s Education Association (WEA) and led by President Frances Willard, opened in September 1871, with 236 students. Of these, 37 were following a “collegiate” track, taking courses at Northwestern University, per the … Read more
By Fiona MaxwellDirector of Museum Operations and Communications, Frances Willard House MuseumHistory PhD candidate, University of Chicago In recognition of the 150th anniversary of Frances Willard’s role as President of the Evanston College for Ladies (1871-1873) and Dean of Women at Northwestern University (1873-1874), the Frances Willard House Museum and WCTU Archives is exploring the history – … Read more
By Lori Osborne, Frances Willard House Museum Director 150 years ago, Evanston was at the center of an experiment in education that would define it for generations. Though Northwestern University is the best known today, it was two small women’s colleges that established Evanston as “a paradise for women.[i]” As we start the school year … Read more
By Fiona MaxwellDirector of Museum Operations and Communications, Frances Willard House MuseumHistory PhD candidate, University of Chicago In recognition of the 150th anniversary of Frances Willard’s role as President of the Evanston College for Ladies (1871-1873) and Dean of Women at Northwestern University (1873-1874), the Frances Willard House Museum and WCTU Archives is exploring the history … Read more
By Janet Olson, Archivist Feminist, social reformer, writer, and WCTU leader Liu-Wang Liming (1898-1970) was born and raised in rural China. As a child, with her father’s support, she resisted the sexist custom of foot-binding. She attended an American mission school for girls many miles from her home. Upon graduation in 1916, she came to … Read more
By Fiona Maxwell, Director of Museum Operations and Communications; PhD candidate in History at the University of Chicago “Look up and off, and on and out; it is the curse of life that nearly everyone looks down.” – Frances Willard By 1874, Frances Willard had acquired a local reputation as a public speaker. Yet, when … Read more
There has been a lot of debate and discussion about the meaning of the word feminism in recent years. Women today take various stands for or against it – and generally its true meaning is lost in the fray. Feminism is a loaded word in our culture with some wearing the term proudly and others … Read more