During and after World War I, young, single women began entering the workforce in greater numbers. One of the exciting career paths that opened up to women during this period was that of Office Secretary. In particular, learning shorthand and becoming a stenographer was on the mind of many a teenage girl dreaming of a career in the city. My grandmother, Sidney Roghers, was one of these girls.
So where did the savvy young 1920s woman go to get the training to become a “steno”? Well, in southwestern Wisconsin where my grandmother lived it was the Wisconsin Business University in LaCrosse. Frank J. Toland opened the school in 1892, and his family operated it for 48 years.
To bring students through the doors, Wisconsin Business University capitalized on newspaper advertising, often taking out half or full-page ads. Just about every issue of every local paper in the region had at least one ad for the school. If you can find a copy of the La Crosse Tribune from the 1920s, you’ll see these ads. Newspapers.com is a good place to find them, but you’ll need a subscription. An ad like this definitely may have convinced my grandmother to give higher education a shot.
If you look closely at the pictures above, you’ll notice young women graced the seats of many of the classes. This was unique for the day. Most young women still made it a priority to pursue the “Mrs. degree” and never went on to higher education.
During its operation, over 10,000 students graduated from the school’s business programs, many of them women! Unfortunately, during the Great Depression, the school’s enrollment declined. Wisconsin Business University closed its doors for good in 1941. Looking at the history of this school gives a nice little snapshot of how the culture was changing when my grandmother was a young woman and why, 100 years later, we women have so many more options. Thanks to those who blazed the trail!
Unfortunately, my grandmother’s tango with higher education didn’t quite work out. But that’s another story.
References
Rogers, Richard A. “A Brief History of the Wisconsin Business University, La Crosse, Wisconsin.” MINDS@UW Home, Wisconsin State University at LaCrosse, 1 Jan. 1967, minds.wisconsin.edu/handle/1793/11739.
Image Credit
Header Image by DarkmoonArt_de from Pixabay
