college
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') may be a tertiary educational institution (sometimes awarding degrees), part of a collegiate university, an institution offering vocational education, a further education institution, or a secondary sc ...
and
music conservatory
A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department (of a larger i ...
for women located in
Sherman, Texas
Sherman is a city in and the county seat of Grayson County, Texas, United States. The city's population in 2020 was 43,645. It is one of the two principal cities in the Sherman–Denison metropolitan area, Sherman–Denison metropolitan statist ...
. The college was established in 1877 as the North Texas Female College, although its origins were in a private
high school
A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...
, the Sherman Male and Female High School. At the time, a college for women was a new idea. In 1901, the college acquired the campus of the Mary Nash College. It changed its name to Kidd-Key in 1919, in memory of its first President, but closed in 1935, largely due to the old-fashioned rules for student life that were enforced.
History
In the 1860s, the Sherman Male and Female High School was opened in rented space in the Odd Fellows Hall.''Handbook of Texas Online'' (accessed September 24, 2010) /ref> The trustees bought some land and a two-story building was constructed to house the new school. In 1877, the State made a contract with the North Texas Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, which converted the high school into the North Texas Female College, and the boys who had been in the high school left to attend other schools. The new purpose was for “the support of a female college, a school of fine arts, and a conservatory of music”.Kidd-Key College and Conservatory records, DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University. Series 1, Box 1, Folder 1. Lucy Ann Thornton Kidd, a widowed teacher from
Mississippi
Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...
, was selected to be the president of the College, becoming
Lucy Ann Kidd-Key
Lucy Ann Kidd–Key (née Lucy Ann Thornton; at first marriage, Lucy Ann Kidd; November 15, 1839 – September 13, 1916) was an American educator and music college administrator from the U.S. state of Kentucky. She founded and served as first pres ...
after marrying Bishop Joseph S. Key in 1892.
During Kidd-Key's time as president of the college, the rules were very strict and emphasized the arts while Kidd-Key focused on maintaining the virtue of the women who attended her school.Kidd-Key College and Conservatory records, DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University. Series 1, Box 2, Folder 33. They were only allowed visitors on certain days and at certain times, chaperoned walks, and all students were required to attend church every Sunday. In 1912, the college gained membership into the Founders Club of
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University (SMU) is a Private university, private research university in Dallas, Texas, United States, with a satellite campus in Taos County, New Mexico. SMU was founded on April 17, 1911, by the Methodist Episcopal Church, ...
.Kidd-Key College and Conservatory records, DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University. Series 1, Box 1, Folder 3. They had correspondence with SMU and had a genial relationship with them. The president of Kidd-Key College even offered SMU some advice and gave them some pointers on what to expect as a new school. However, the opening of Southern Methodist University in 1915 resulted in a decline of funding from the North Texas Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The enrollment rate began to decline with the loss of funding as well as fewer students being drawn in by the strict rules and regulations in place at the college. Kidd-Key died in 1916 and her son, Edwin Kidd, took her place as president of the college.
In 1919, the name of the college was changed to Kidd-Key College and Conservatory. Due to the decline in enrollment, Edwin Kidd coordinated with the president of
Austin College
Austin College is a private liberal arts college affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and located in Sherman, Texas. The
curriculum
In education, a curriculum (; : curriculums or curricula ) is the totality of student experiences that occur in an educational process. The term often refers specifically to a planned sequence of instruction, or to a view of the student's experi ...
at Kidd-Key College was also reduced to a few choice classes to try to preserve the college as much as possible. These efforts worked temporarily, but the
campus
A campus traditionally refers to the land and buildings of a college or university. This will often include libraries, lecture halls, student centers and, for residential universities, residence halls and dining halls.
By extension, a corp ...
was eventually closed and liquidated. In 1933, the North Texas Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church gave full backing to Southern Methodist University and no longer wished to support Kidd-Key College.Domatti, Ruth O. "A History of Kidd-Key College." The Southwestern Historical Quarterly 63.2 (1959): 263-78. JSTOR. Web. 23 Sept. 2010.
In June 1935, after the final class was graduated, the campus closed forever, and none of the original buildings remain.
Notable faculty and students
Faculty
*
Harold von Mickwitz
Harold von Mickwitz (''né'' Paul Harald von Mickwitz; 22 May 1859 — 12 February 1938) was an American concert pianist and composer who had been head the piano departments of conservatories in Germany and the United States.
Education
Mickwitz ...
, concert pianist
Students
*
Kate Moore Brown
Kate Moore Brown (December 17, 1871 - March 28, 1945) was an American musician, clubwoman and traveler who lived in El Paso, Texas. Brown was one of the first graduates of El Paso High School. She was the first person to teach music in the public ...
, music teacher.
*
Wynne Pyle
Wynne Pyle ''(née'' Wynne Belle Pyle 24 October 1881 Ladonia, Texas — 24 April 1971 Miami, Florida) was an American concert pianist.
Early education
She studied piano at the North Texas College of Music at Kidd-Key College in Sherman, Texas, ...
, concert pianist
*
Willie Cooper Hobby
Willie Chapman Cooper Hobby (June 19, 1876 – January 14, 1929) was the first wife of William P. Hobby, Governor of Texas from 1917 to 1921, and thus First Lady of Texas.
Life
The daughter of Samuel B. Cooper, a lawyer who later became a Unite ...