Myrtle Craig Mowbray (March 16, 1883 – November 8, 1974), formerly Myrtle Craig, was the first African-American woman to graduate from the Michigan Agricultural College (later

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State o ...

) in 1907. She was later a schoolteacher and a professor at two

historically black colleges and universities Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the intention of serving African Americans. Most are in the Southern U ...

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

and

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

. The Mowbray Scholars Program at the Michigan State University Honors College is named in her honor.

Early life

Mowbray was born in

Adrian, Michigan Adrian is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Lenawee County, Michigan, Lenawee County. The population was 20,645 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Adrian lies in Michigan's 5th congressional district. The c ...

. Her father was a messenger for the secretary of state in

Lansing Lansing () is the capital city of the U.S. state of Michigan. The most populous city in Ingham County, parts of the city extend into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. It is the sixth-most populous city in Michigan with a popul ...

, the state capital. Prior to her arrival in East Lansing, she graduated from George R. Smith College in

Sedalia, Missouri Sedalia is a city located approximately south of the Missouri River and, as the county seat of Pettis County, Missouri, Pettis County, Missouri, United States, it is the principal city of the Sedalia Micropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 ...

, and for a year was an elementary schoolteacher in Missouri.

Michigan Agricultural College

Myrtle Craig's father persuaded her to attend the Michigan Agricultural College (M.A.C.) over the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

. Craig worked her way through college by waiting tables and working other side jobs, and did not live in the Women's Building on campus, either because she was not allowed to or could not afford to. She first boarded with the family of Addison M. Brown, who was the secretary to the State Board of Agriculture, and worked for the family as a cook; she later boarded with the family of assistant professor of Drawing Chace Newman before taking up residence in Lansing. She was one of four African American students on campus and, of those, the only woman, and was one of 15 women in the class of 1907. While Craig was one of the few African Americans at the university, she reflected on her experience by saying, "I didn't feel any different because of my race, there were sororities for girls, but I was so poor, I didn't have the time or money for those things." During her time of study, she was affiliated with the A.M.E. Church in Lansing. She received her diploma on May 31, 1907, from U.S. President

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...

, the

commencement speaker A graduation is the awarding of a diploma by an educational institution. It may also refer to the ceremony that is associated with it, which can also be called commencement, congregation, convocation or invocation. The date of the graduation ...

Teaching career

After graduating from the Michigan Agricultural College, Craig spent her next forty years teaching African American youth in Kansas and Missouri. From 1907 to 1910 she taught at Western University in

Quindaro, Kansas Quindaro Townsite was once a settlement, then a ghost town, and later an archaeological site. It is around North 27th Street and the Missouri Pacific Railroad tracks in Kansas City, Kansas. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Pla ...

, then taught domestic art for two years at Lincoln Institute in

Jefferson City, Missouri Jefferson City, informally Jeff City, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital of the U.S. state of Missouri. It had a population of 43,228 at the 2020 United States census, ranking as the List of cities in Missouri, 16th most popu ...

, during which time she exhibited at the 1911

Missouri State Fair The Missouri State Fair is the state fair for the state of Missouri, which has operated since 1901 in Sedalia, Missouri. It includes daily concerts, exhibits and competitions of animals, homemade crafts, shows, and many food/lemonade stands, an ...

, winning a blue ribbon and other prizes for work in domestic arts. She then taught for three years at Sumner High School in

Kansas City, Kansas Kansas City (commonly known as KCK) is the third-most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is an inner suburb of the older and more populous Kansas City, Missouri, after which it is named. As ...

; returned to teaching at Lincoln Institute from 1917 to 1922; taught elementary school in

Fulton, Missouri Fulton is the largest city in and the county seat of Callaway County, Missouri, Callaway County, Missouri, United States. Located about northeast of Jefferson City, Missouri, Jefferson City and the Missouri River and east of Columbia, Missouri, ...

, from 1922 to 1934; and again at Lincoln Institute from 1934 to 1947.

Personal life

Craig married Rev. W.H. Bowen in 1915, and married George H. Mowbray in 1951. At the time of her death on November 8, 1974, she lived in

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Craig Mowbray, Myrtle Educators from Kansas Educators from Michigan 20th-century African-American educators 20th-century American educators Michigan State University alumni 1883 births 1974 deaths Lincoln University (Missouri) faculty People from Adrian, Michigan People from Sedalia, Missouri Educators from Kansas City, Missouri People from Jefferson City, Missouri People from Callaway County, Missouri African-American women academics 20th-century African-American academics 20th-century American academics 20th-century African-American women George R. Smith College alumni 20th-century American women academics