Do the names Edith Clawson, Phyllis Hoyt, Mary Moore Dabney Thomson, Leila McKee, Mary Alma Sawyer and Helen Peabody sound familiar?
Most Miami University students would probably recognize the last names of these six women, but probably don’t really know who they are. One thing all of these women have in common is their influence on what is now considered Western Campus at Miami University. The most influential woman of this group is Helen Peabody.
If you ask a Miami student who Helen Peabody is, they might tell you that she’s the one who haunts male students living in the dorm with her namesake. However, that’s not all she should be known for.
Peabody was a graduate of Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts. She was asked to be principal of the college in 1853, and it was apparent that she believed women should receive the same education as men, which was a rarity in the mid-1800s.
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A devoted Christian, Peabody’s beliefs were vividly shown at the Western Female Seminary, which was housed in what is now Peabody Hall. Students not only lived there, but had all of their classes and meals there as well. They were also required to take Bible classes and spend private time with God everyday. When Peabody Hall burned down in 1860, each and every one of the students stood outside of their home, terrified, but Peabody’s calm voice offered a prayer giving thanks for the students’ “life deliverance.” The idea of community was also very evident at the Seminary.
“The way the students and faculty all lived together created a strong community bond,” said Kim Ernsting, today’s Western Program assistant director. “In a sense, it was the beginning of the idea of having a Living Learning Community.” LLCs (Living and Learning Communities) are still present today at Miami, but that’s just one thing that Peabody’s legacy left behind.
“There’s still a high level of responsibility,” said Nicholas Money, the current director of the Western Program. “Peabody expected a lot from the students, and stressed the importance of personal responsibility.”
A form of what todays Miami’s students would call the Miami Plan also existed, but with far fewer options. Students didn’t have the choice like they do today. Instead, they were required to take classes such as Algebra, Botany, Chemistry, Greek, Philosophy and Trigonometry along with a few others. The required Bible courses are most starkly contrasted with today’s curriculum.
Peabody was so much of an influence on the Western College that her values lived on through the years. Cathy Cooper, a 1960 graduate, said, “There was only one Helen Peabody. Each President after her had their own strengths, but some didn’t quite fulfill the expectations.”