Phebe+Sudlow

Original Author: Jessica Shaw Revision Author:
 * Phebe Sudlow: One of Education's First Ladies**

Phebe Sudlow was a successful woman, who did not compromise her beliefs. Although current times have not always given her the credit she is due, it does not lessen the work she did. She insisted upon equality and proved that as a woman she was just as capable as any man. Phebe had a strong desire to educate others and was driven to give them opportunities. Her involvement in the community after she had retired from teaching showed that she lived to make the lives of others better. Not only was she compassionate, but was also intelligent and modest. She dedicated her life to helping others. Phebe did her part to further the cause of equality and spread her charitable nature to those around her.

Phebe was born in Poughkeepsie, New York on July 11th 1831. She lived here until the age of four, when her family moved to the small Ohioan town of Earl. She attended the log cabin school near her family home and then attended the Athens Academy in Athens, Ohio. She went on to teach at the same school she attended at the age of fifteen (Christian, 7). Eventually she received an honorary degree of Master of Arts from Cornell College (Hanft & Manley, 118). In 1856, Phebe came to Round Grove in Scott County Iowa. She continued to teach and even succeed moving up in the education system (Hanft & Manley, 117). Two years after beginning her career in Scott County she became an assistant principal and one year later became principal, making her the first female to be principal of a public school (Christian, 7). In 1872, Phebe became the principal of the Davenport Training School for Teachers (Hanft & Manley, 117). The Davenport Training School for Teachers set up a certification system for those who had the desire to teach. Those who attended were taught basics so that only qualified individuals would be teaching the area's children (Baker, 4). She worked as principal here until 1874 when she was asked to be superintendant of Davenport schools. Once she accepted the position it made her the first women to hold the position in the country. She held this job until 1878 when she accepted the offer to become the first female English professor at the University of Iowa (Hanft & Manley, 118). Another first for Phebe was when she was elected president of the Iowa State Teachers Association in 1876, winning over two male candidates (Christian, 8). Phebe was forced to retire in 1881 at the age of fifty due to ill health, but remained active in the community until her death at the age of ninety one (Christian, 62). Phebe Sudlow was without question a women of many firsts.

Phebe Sudlow was not only successful in her career as an educator, but was also a successful advocate of better education and women's rights. When she was offered the job of superintendant it came with a considerable pay decrease than her male predecessors, which she would not stand for. "Gentlemen, if you are cutting the salary because of my inexperience, I have nothing to say; but if you are doing this because I am a woman, I'll have nothing more to do with it." This was her response to the initial offer and with this she was able to receive equal pay (Hanft & Manley, 117). Even when written about today she is sometimes credited to only have gotten her job due to lack of unqualified men at the time (Christian, 6). She did, however, go on to prove that she was fully deserving of her job and pay. When Phebe left the Davenport school system one of the school board members said of her, "Davenport schools are in excellent condition, the teachers, pupils and parents are a working group- working harmoniously together under the superintendant" (Baker, 17). The teachers who worked under her supervision while she was superintendant remembered her fondly. She was known to openly praise excellent work, but also to privately make suggestions for improvement (Christian, 7). Later on in her career she when asked about the significance of her work in the Davenport school, she answered modestly crediting the school's officials. Stating that the Davenport schools "brought to women in Iowa almost unquestioned privilege of employment in any department of public schools. They secured for her the enjoyment of equal pay with men, for equal services" (Christian, 6). She believed that women played an important role in the education system and explained that "I cannot understand why equal attainment, equal culture, and equal strength of purpose and will should not have equal influence whether in man or woman" (Christian, 8). Phebe believed in equal rights for women and she stood by that belief throughout her career.

Phebe not only stood for equal rights of women, but also she stood for better education for all students. She herself was a lifelong learner, claiming to have received her education; "All along the way" (Hanft & Manley, 118) wanted to pass this commitment of learning to others. During her inaugural address of 1877, as president of the Iowa State Teachers Association, she brings up some interesting topics, especially when considering the time period. She stressed the importance of kindergarten and the importance of industrial and technical education. One of her known crusades was for better lighting in classrooms. She suggested that students face a blank wall, with light coming from behind and to the left (Christian, 8). She clearly took her role as an educator seriously and had the desire to help students succeed. Her beliefs concerning the education of children can be summed up with one of her quotes in a speech while serving as principal of the teacher's training school: "It is more important for children to find correct words to clothe their thoughts; and to acquire good habits of speaking than merely to prate verbatim the definitions in grammar book. Education means not 'pouring in' but 'drawing out' of what is in a child's mind. Prepare yourselves well. I know you will be interested in becoming rather than having. Being rather than doing, is the better part, not for self but for service" (Baker, 18).

Phebe Sudlow used her success to further her strong belief in the importance of education.Phebe's work to help others did not end with her career as an educator. She was very active in the community and focused her attention on the betterment of women's lives. Her advice to women is somewhat summed up with this: "Women, in professional work, must learn to separate herself more from other seeming duties; to invest more as capital: to expect less in the present; and to provide wisely for the future...Women must be more eager to become than to have, must understand that being rather than doing is the 'better part,' must tarry longer in the upbuilding of a true and noble selfhood, not for self, but for service" (Christian, 8).

Doing her part to help women, she started a literary group for women known as the 'The Club of '87.' She also served as the organization's president. The group was begun so that women could gather in their homes to exchange literature and ideas. Topics ranged from women in the Bible, to employment of married women (Christian, 9). She was active in her church. She started a women's missionary group and taught Sunday school (Christian, 62). Phebe served as president of another group, the Ladies Industrial Relief Society, for fifteen years (Hanft & Manley, 118). This organization's purpose was to help women in need. A house was founded in 1892 that provided childcare for working women. It was also a place for poor women to do their laundry and for a time offered sewing lessons to help them get better employment (Downer, 732). Phebe's association with these groups shows her dedication to helping women achieve.

Phebe Sudlow's work shows her dedication to helping others. She made great strides in women's rights, accepting nothing less than equality. Her work as a teacher shows that she had hopes that all children have the opportunity to succeed. She worked throughout her life to better the lives of others. Towards the end of her life when asked about impact and the changes she made, she simply replied "I had little time to think of passing events forming themselves into history" (Christian, 62). Phebe was ahead of her time and had many obstacles to overcome, which she took on fearlessly.

**Works Cited** Baker, Mary A. "A History of Davenport Schools." Davenport, IA: Davenport Community School District Production Printing, 1978. Print. Christian, Rebecca. "A Few, 'Firsts' for Phoebe." //The Iowan//.[Iowa] 1989. Downer, Harry E. "History of Davenport and Scott County, Iowa." Vol. 1. The S.J. Clarke Publishing Company. 1910. Print. Hanft, Ethel W. & Manley, Paula J., "Outstanding Iowa Woman: Past and Present." River Bend Publishing, 1980. Print.

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