Document Type

Podcast

Publication Date

3-7-2023

Abstract

University Archivist April Anderson-Zorn joins Redbird Buzz to discuss three women who made history at Illinois State University: Dr. June Rose Colby, Anna Ropp, and Dr. Patricia Chesebro.

Dr. June Rose Colby (1856-1941) was the first female faculty member and third woman hired as an instructor at Illinois State Normal University. After becoming the first woman to earn a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in 1886, Colby served as a professor of English at Illinois State Normal from 1892-1931. Colby was also a writer who contributed to professional journals, and she was a supporter of the Suffragist movement.

Anna Ropp (1904-2005) graduated from the Mennonite Hospital School of Nursing in 1931 and spent 22 years as a relief day supervisor at Mennonite Hospital. Ropp was known for her eye for detail, her ability to run many parts of the hospital operations, and her high level of energy. She also worked tirelessly on her family farm, and she wrote daily in diaries that are available to view in the Dr. Jo Ann Rayfield Archives.

Dr. Patricia Chesebro (1924-1992) was a professor of psychology at Illinois State University from 1963 until her retirement in 1988. During her time at Illinois State, Chesebro was heavily involved with the women's studies program. She was also a member of the Women Faculty Association, a group which evaluated the status of women faculty at Illinois State and worked to ensure equal treatment for women.

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