Mary Estella Sprague (1870 – May 17, 1940) was an American
home economics
Home economics, also called domestic science or family and consumer sciences (often shortened to FCS or FACS), is a subject concerning human development, personal and family finances, consumer issues, housing and interior design, nutrition and f ...
professor and
academic administrator
Academic administration is a branch of university or college employees responsible for the maintenance and supervision of the institution and separate from the faculty or academics, although some personnel may have joint responsibilities. Some ...
at the
University of Connecticut
The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university system with its main campus in Storrs, Connecticut, United States. It was founded in 1881 as the Storrs Agricultural School, named after two benefactors. In 1893, ...
, then Connecticut Agricultural College. She served as dean of women from 1917 to 1926 and as the first dean of the Division of Home Economics from 1920 to 1926.
Life and career
Born in
Massachusetts
Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
in January 1870, Sprague graduated from
Bridgewater State Normal School as a member of the class of 1887. She taught in public schools for more than twenty years. After studying home economics at
Simmons College
Institutions of learning called Simmons College or Simmons University include:
* Simmons University
Simmons University (previously Simmons College) is a private university in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1899 by ...
, she became house director and teacher of home economics at Caroline Rest, a rest home for new mothers near
Scarsdale, New York
Scarsdale is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The Town of Scarsdale is coterminous municipality, coextensive with the Village of Scarsdale, but the community has opted to operate ...
.
In 1914, she became the first woman extension service worker in Connecticut when she became assistant state leader of the
Boys & Girls Clubs of America
Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) is a national organization of local chapters which provide voluntary after-school programs for young people. The organization, which holds a congressional charter under Title 36 of the United States Code, has i ...
and later state leader of the Girls' Club. In November 1917, she was appointed a professor of home economics and Dean of Women at UConn.
She lobbied President
Charles L. Beach in 1922 to hire more senior faculty for the division. She served as Dean of Women from 1917 to 1926 and as the first Dean of the Division of Home Economics from 1920 to 1926.
Dean Sprague supervised approximately four faculty members, all women. Under her leadership, enrollment in home economics rose from thirty to 120 students by 1926.
Concurrently, the college's female enrollment rose to around 26% of the student population in 1925 and 31% in 1930, up from only 19% in 1920.
During
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, Sprague served as state director of home economics for the
U.S. Food Administration.
Appointed in June 1917 and serving through the war's end in 1918, she coordinated Connecticut's women's organizations and coordinated a statewide campaign to bolster domestic food production and conservation in support of the war effort. UConn trustees noted that the job required "a woman of broad vision and forceful personality who knew Connecticut people," and that Sprague "more than met these requirements."
Legacy
Built in 1942, the M. Estella Sprague Residence Hall, a three-story
dormitory
A dormitory (originated from the Latin word ''dormitorium'', often abbreviated to dorm), also known as a hall of residence, a residence hall (often abbreviated to halls), or a hostel, is a building primarily providing sleeping and residential qu ...
on UConn's main campus in
Storrs, is named in her honor. In August 1926, she was the first woman to receive an "honorary recognition" given to "leaders in agriculture and rural life" by Connecticut Agricultural College.
Sprague left a substantial collection of
costume
Costume is the distinctive style of dress and/or makeup of an individual or group that reflects class, gender, occupation, ethnicity, nationality, activity or epoch—in short, culture.
The term also was traditionally used to describe typica ...
s and
textile
Textile is an Hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella term that includes various Fiber, fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, Staple (textiles)#Filament fiber, filaments, Thread (yarn), threads, and different types of #Fabric, fabric. ...
s. Over 7,000 items were donated by Sprague and other collectors and assembled under the direction of faculty members Nellie Gard and Margaret Gaylord. Ranging from
ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt () was a cradle of civilization concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in Northeast Africa. It emerged from prehistoric Egypt around 3150BC (according to conventional Egyptian chronology), when Upper and Lower E ...
ian fabrics to contemporary designer dresses, the materials supported the curricular of the School of Home Economics. Most pieces dated from the 19th and early 20th centuries.
An exhibit, "Perfect in Her Place: Women at Work in Industrial America," at the
Homer Babbidge Library showcasing Sprague's collection ran from March through April 1985. In 2021, a curator was hired to prepare the M. Estelle Sprague Costume Collection for incorporation into the collection of the
William Benton Museum of Art
The William Benton Museum of Art is a public fine arts museum located on the University of Connecticut's main campus in Storrs, Connecticut. The Benton houses a permanent collection of over 6,500 artistic works and hosts special exhibitions, conce ...
.
Sprague retired in 1926. She died after a long illness on May 17, 1940, in
Templeton, Massachusetts
Templeton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 8,149 at the 2020 census. The town comprises four main villages: Templeton Center, East Templeton, Baldwinville, and Otter River.
Geography
According to ...
, at the age of 70.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sprague, M. Estella
1870 births
1940 deaths
20th-century American women educators
20th-century American educators
American women academics
Academics from Connecticut
Academics from Massachusetts
Bridgewater State University alumni
Educators from Massachusetts
Home economists
Simmons University alumni
University of Connecticut faculty
Women deans (academic)