Thursday, January 3, 2019

52 Ancestors - FIRST: 90 Years in a Girdle Box


Amy Johnson Crow continues to challenge genealogy bloggers and non-bloggers alike to think about our ancestors and share a story or photo about them. The challenge is “52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks.




This week’s challenge theme “FIRST” is the perfect time to tell about another donation to my alma mater, James Madison University. Back in October 2018, I delivered my grandaunt Velma Davis Woodring’s college scrapbook to the Special Collections division of the university library. During our meeting, Dr. Philip Herrington, professor of history, and Tiffany Cole, archivist, expressed interest in any other items I might have inherited that could benefit the students and other researchers. Unfortunately I have no other college memorabilia, just personal and family goodies like dishes and quilts.

Then Tiffany asked, “What about diplomas?”

Cha-ching! I do have diplomas but not Velma’s. They belonged to her older sister Violetta Davis Ryan, the FIRST in the Davis family to attend college. Their father Walter Davis stopped the boys’ education at the eighth grade and put them to work. The girls, however, were either allowed or required to go to college, not sure which way the story went.

Violetta Davis at the State Normal School Harrisonburg, VA https://jollettetc.blogspot.com
Violetta on the steps
of Spotswood Hall 1923
Violetta graduated twice from the same school. Her FIRST diploma was earned in 1923 when JMU was known as the State Normal School at Harrisonburg. Because she had graduated from high school, she qualified to earn the Professional Diploma. The two-year program allowed graduates to teach anywhere for seven years. Seven years later in 1930, she returned to her alma mater, by then renamed Harrisonburg Teachers College, to earn a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education. This four-year program entitled her to teach for life.

Formfit Girdle Box https://jollettetc.blogspot.com
Formfit Girdle box



In 2012, I blogged about Violetta’s college career HERE and HERE and even posted a photo of her diplomas. They had been rolled tight and stored in a girdle box, of all things, probably since 1923 or 1930. Those diplomas certainly held that rolled-up shape. It’s what 90 years in a girdle box will do, I guess. At every attempt to unroll the diplomas to take a picture, they snapped right back into a tight roll. If the Formfit girdle could hold a woman’s stomach flat, its box was equally effective in keeping the diplomas’ roll.
 
Violetta Davis Ryan's diplomas https://jollettetc.blogspot.com
Violetta's 2 diplomas
I had to weight them down with stone coasters to get a photo.
Apparently there has been quite a bit of interest in the early diplomas, so I am thrilled to add to the small but growing collection. I warned Kate Morris, the head of Special Collections, about the condition of the diplomas, but she was sure the Preservation Officer could flatten them.

And she did!
 
Violetta Davis Ryan's first diploma https://jollettetc.blogspot.com
Violetta's FIRST diploma 1923

Violetta Davis Ryan's second diploma https://jollettetc.blogspot.com
Violetta's SECOND diploma 1930

Wendy
© 2019, Wendy Mathias. All rights reserved.

17 comments:

  1. What a catchy title and interesting read, Wendy. Nice to see you doing the 52 Ancestors posts. Amy's first round got me started blogging 5 years ago.

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    1. The title is certainly more interesting than the story itself, but I just couldn't resist.

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  2. Wow, wonderful to see these old diplomas and to know that the college will keep your family's history safe for generations to come. Happy new year!

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    1. See - I'm following your advice to ensure a future for my family's past. Happy New Year to you too.

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  3. This is one of those 'You've Come A Long Way, Baby' historical issues for women and men. Imagine boys being limited to an 8th grade education today. The diplomas are treasures and a statement to women taking giant steps before there time. I've been looking for a way to get back to my Family Tree Blogs, and 52 Ancestors Challenge is the answer for me in 2019. Thanks for your inspirational post. My FIRST post is up today!

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    1. I look forward to reading the 52 Ancestors posts. You do have some stories to tell, and with that Sue-wit, each one should be a wild ride.

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  4. Wendy, beautifully done. Love your writing, layout, and pictures. Please continue to post for 52 Ancestors.

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    1. Why thank-you. I'm planning on sticking with the challenge. PLANNING is the operative term here.

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  5. The girdle box storage made this story so fun!

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    1. If there had been no girdle box, there would have been no story. Any other box just wouldn’t do.

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  6. I wonder how they got them so flattened out! Do you think they were ashamed of them or shamed for having them and that's why they put them in the girdle box? Neat that you could pass them on to the university. Now they will "live" on forever.

    betty

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    1. I wondered too about the process. I have seen DIY tips for ironing (!) but I’m guessing the professionals do something less risky. No, I doubt Violetta was ashamed of her diplomas. They are very large and would have been expensive to frame, so maybe the expense was a reason or maybe she didn’t have a place to display them. Come to think of it, I doubt displaying diplomas was in style except maybe among doctors and lawyers who needed to show their credentials.

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  7. Excelent for the "First" of 52 weeks. Maybe I'll join again...since my post today might work, showing early brides in America. I loved that you got those diplomas out of the box, which probably was just the right size without any reference to what had come in it. I actually framed my 2 college diplomas, and now wonder where they are (I hung them in my first couple of counselor (like therapy) offices.)

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    1. Yes, the box is PERFECT - the short side of the diplomas is less than an inch shorter than the length of the box. I never framed my diplomas - they are small, not very showy or prestigious-looking.

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  8. Oh Wendy, I am SO glad you are back - how I've missed you and your girdle-box wit. You may (or may not) remember that I found an Eastern Star document of my 2x great grandmother's from 1888 that was folded up in a book. I had it repaired and framed and it hangs on my wall today. Here's the blog post about it. https://who-knew-it.blogspot.com/2011/05/eastern-star.html

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  9. I'm starting to look at places that might take some of the family memorabilia. It's too much for the next generation to take it all, so dispersing some to relevant places seems best.

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  10. Hi Wendy, I went searching for some of your 52Ancestors posts after you commented on mine. I love this story! I agree with everyone else that the girdle box aspect made it extremely memorable! I look forward to seeing more of your writing.

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