Martha Eunice Hilton (19 November 1899 - 18 October 1975) was

dean of women The dean of women at a college or university in the United States is the dean (education), dean with responsibility for student affairs for female students. In early years, the position was also known by other names, including preceptress, lady pri ...

for

Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York, United States. It was established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church but has been nonsectarian since 1920 ...

from 1935 for 1949. In this position she led the Student Dean Program for women, making many changes and improvements, leading to it becoming nationally renowned.

Career

Eunice Hilton was born on 19 November 1899 in

Lincoln, Nebraska Lincoln is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska. The city covers and had a population of 291,082 as of the 2020 census. It is the state's List of cities in Nebraska, second-most populous city a ...

. She attended

Cotner College Cotner College, also known as Nebraska Christian University, is a former religious college located in present-day Lincoln, Nebraska, which was founded in 1889 by the Nebraska Christian Missionary Alliance. History In 1886, several local busi ...

from 1917 to 1918 before receiving Bachelor's and master's degrees in physical education from the

University of Nebraska A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

. From 1926 she taught English and history at McCook Junior College in Nebraska, where she was also

until 1931. In 1931, after graduating, Hilton travelled to

, taking the position of assistant dean of women after completing a one-year student dean program. Alongside this position she worked on a doctorate in education, becoming the first woman to receive a PhD from the School of Education's Student Dean Program in April 1934. When the then dean of women Eugenie Leonard went on leave 1935 Hilton assumed her role, temporarily at first, with the position becoming permanent in 1936. As dean of women, Hilton made many improvements to the university's Student Dean Program, including the introduction of new courses and a code of conduct. It became a nationally popular course, with applications made from around the United States. In 1943 she worked with others at the university to develop a course titled "The Status of Women and their Responsibilities" studying the roles of women in society; an early version of what would become

women's studies Women's studies is an academic field that draws on Feminism, feminist and interdisciplinary methods to place women's lives and experiences at the center of study, while examining Social constructionism, social and cultural constructs of gender; ...

. In 1949, Hilton stepped down as dean of women, instead taking the role of dean of the College of Home Economics, though she had less success here due to the declining interest in the field. Hilton moved to Denver where she worked at the

University of Denver The University of Denver (DU) is a private research university in Denver, Colorado, United States. Founded in 1864, it has an enrollment of approximately 5,700 undergraduate students and 7,200 graduate students. It is classified among "R1: D ...

as a professor of education until her retirement in 1966. During her career, Hilton took part in a number of other activities and held numerous other positions. She was president of the Council of Guidance and Personnel associations, a member of the New York state women's council, a vice-president of the National Association of Deans of Women, and spoke at a number of venues on the topic of deans of women, and women in academia more broadly. In 1968 Syracuse University presented Hilton with an honorary degree, claiming that she had "contributed more to student personnel administration than anyone else in her time". Between 1992 and 2009 the university awarded a Hilton Scholarship Fund to one female graduate each year, named in her honour.

Personal life

Hilton married John Thomas Freeland in 1959. She died from illness on 18 October 1975.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hilton, Eunice 1899 births 1975 deaths Syracuse University faculty People from Lincoln, Nebraska University of Nebraska alumni University of Denver faculty Deans of women 20th-century American academics