Women's History Month displays in the library
Over the course of March, Huie Library celebrated Women's History Month with two special collection displays and two book displays.
The special collection display titled Votes for Henderson Women, depicted what the world and life was like on campus. For example, when the ratification of the 19th amendment was fully adopted on August 18, 1920:
- Henderson Street was not paved, but it did have the same iron fence that runs along the south lawn today
- The majority of the college was in one large building
- Domestic Science and Domestic Arts were offered as majors
- There was a sundial where the Centurium now stands
- And more!
The special collections team also debuted a new series for their second display. The title of the series is Henderson Names You Should Know and highlighted to women of HSU history.This display briefly covers the history of Dr. Adelphia Basford and Ms. Elizabeth Brinkley.
Dr. Adelphia Basford taught Biology at Henderson for 27 years, from 1945-1972. She earned her B.S., M.A., and Ph.D. from George Peabody College, which is now a part of Vanderbilt University. During her long tenure as a professor at Henderson Dr. Basford not only guided hundreds of students through the study of living things, she also served as department chair, Dean of Women, thesis advisor, and sponsor of various school organizations. The Adelphia Basford Biology Scholarship and Basford Room at the Biology Field Station are named in her honor.
Elizabeth Brinkley joined Henderson’s Biology department the same year as Dr. Basford, but held on for at least one more year of teaching. Ms. Brinkley earned her B.A. from the University of Arkansas, her M.A. from the University of Texas, and conducted graduate study at Cornell, the University of Chicago, the University of California, and the University of Wisconsin. During her tenure she also served as a department chair and as the assistant curator of the Henderson Museum. Ms. Brinkley helped sponsor several campus beautification projects, including a restoration of the roses that once grew on the iron fence along Henderson Street. The Brinkley Room at the Biology Field Station is named in her honor.
The book displays celebrating Women's History Month covered the following topics - critically acclaimed graphic novels by women; history and criticism of women in comics; and great women of the culinary arts.