Wyoming’s reputation as the “Equality State” was reinforced with the addition of numerous female professors who made their mark at the University of Wyoming.
Grace Raymond Hebard was not only the first woman admitted to the Wyoming State Bar in 1898, and the first woman to practice law before the Wyoming Supreme Court, she was also an engineer, suffragist, librarian, and historian. Over time, she became the first woman to serve on the University of Wyoming Board of Trustees as secretary.
June Etta Downey, daughter of Stephen Downey, began teaching at the University of Wyoming in 1898 as an English professor but was soon teaching philosophy as well. By 1915, she became the head of the Psychology department and is known for making many strides in the study of psychology.
Mathilde Weigland grew up in Norway and viewed herself as a feminist. She earned a Ph.D. in history from the University of Zurich. Mathilde came to the United States in 1890 and taught briefly at Bryn Mawr College near Philadelphia, then at the University of Illinois and the University of Chicago. In 1902, she came to teach at the University of Wyoming and was appointed a Professor of History, French and Spanish.
In the early days of the university, professors taught several subjects outside their realm of specialty so that the University could offer a broader curriculum.
Learn more about Wyoming’s pioneering professors and the history of the University of Wyoming.