Milwaukee Female College

From Journal 5_hidden pocket.jpg

Tuition bill paid by Josiah Willard to Milaukee Female College, 1857.  Paper found in hidden pocket of Frances Willard's fifth journal.

April 20, 1857

Note from Mrs. Hovey. Mrs.Hodge called. Am going away to school. Hurrah! What I have waited for most.

Milwaukee Female College marked the first step of Frances Willard’s formal academic training.  Frances Willard and her sister Mary attended the school for one term, before returning to their family in Janesville.  This journal entry highlights Frances Willard’s great excitement at the reality of attending Milwaukee Female College; an excitement that never diminished over her time there.

The Milwaukee Female College proved one of the greatest early influences in Frances Willard’s education.  Her early interests in reading and writing blossomed at her new school, encouraging her desire to continue schooling.  Frances Willard’s education from the Milwaukee Female College granted her the experience and encouragement that she needed to later attend school in Evanston, Illinois and become a teacher.

February 20, 1857

No sun yet!. Walked to school. Got on well in studies.-James Hodged spelled the school down!-Father is going to send us to Milwaukee to school in the spring. My great wish gratified!! 

Not only did Milwaukee Female College present the opportunity for Frances Willard to earn a formal education, but her experiences there grew her personal relationships.  Willard attended the school with her sister, Mary Willard, after the efforts of their father Josiah Willard solidified their place at the college.  In addition to the strengthened familial relationships during this time, Frances Willard also began forming a network of other girls with similar goals.

This journal entry highlights the excited commitment that Frances Willard maintained toward attending Milwaukee Female College.  She exclaimed, “My great wish gratified!!” when she learned that she would soon attend the school.  The relationships and education that she would gain from the school influenced her adult relationships and future career as a young teacher.