Celebrating the right to vote

As we prepare to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the passing of the 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote, we take a look back at Mount Mary 100 years ago. Wisconsin was the first state in the country to ratify the 19th amendment on June 10, 1919.

Mount Mary in the 1910s

  • 1910: St. Mary’s Alumnae Association, the nucleus of the present association, is organized.
  • 1913: The first college curriculum goes into effect at St. Mary’s Academy in Prairie du Chien. On October 28, St. Mary’s Academy became St. Mary’s College, chartered by the state of Wisconsin to grant degrees. It is the first four-year Catholic college for women in Wisconsin. Three young women make up the first graduation class of St. Mary’s College.

Mount Mary in the 1920s

  • 1926: St. Mary’s College in Prairie du Chien is recognized by the North Central Association of Colleges as an approved college.
  • 1926: Archbishop Messmer of Milwaukee requests that St. Mary’s College move to Milwaukee in order to make Catholic education available to a wider group of students and also to provide for its students the advantages of a metropolitan center.
  • 1928: On September 12, the cornerstone of the new school, renamed Mount Mary College, is laid.
  • 1929: In August, Dr. Edward A. Fitzpatrick is appointed president of Mount Mary College.
  • 1929: On September 16, Mount Mary officially opens its doors to 132 young women. The college consists of two buildings of Gothic style: Notre Dame Hall, with classrooms and administrative offices, and Caroline Hall, the student residence hall. One month and eight days later, the stock market crashes and the Great Depression begins.

2019-right-to-vote-thumbnail.pngWomen and Power: A Right to be Heard

On June 11, 2019, six notable Wisconsin women shared stories about their personal paths to power and influence, one day after the 100th anniversary of Wisconsin's historic vote as the first state to ratify the 19th Amendment. Speakers included: Elizabeth Brenner, former publisher of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; Mary Burke, a former executive at Trek and a 2014 candidate for governor; Bria Smith, an 18-year-old activist and president of the Milwaukee Youth Council; Joan Prince, vice chancellor of global inclusion and engagement for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Jessie Rodriguez, a state representative since 2013; and Amy Lindner, CEO of the United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County.

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1913

This photo from the archive captures a moment in 1913 at Mount Mary – then called St. Mary’s Academy. St. Mary's Academy was located in Prairie du Chien until 1928, when it was renamed Mount Mary College and located to its present location in Milwaukee.

1920s

This photo from the archive captures students ice skating in 1913 at Mount Mary – then called St. Mary’s Academy. St. Mary's Academy was located in Prairie du Chien until 1928, when it was renamed Mount Mary College and located to its present location in Milwaukee.

1920s

This photo from the archive captures the Mount Mary class of 1926 – then called St. Mary’s Academy. St. Mary's Academy was located in Prairie du Chien until 1928, when it was renamed Mount Mary College and located to its present location in Milwaukee.

1920s

Many of these photos from the archives at Mount Mary are undated, but capture moments at the institution during the 1910s and 1920s. St. Mary's Academy was located in Prairie du Chien until 1928, when it was renamed Mount Mary College and located to its present location in Milwaukee.

1920s

Many of these photos from the archives at Mount Mary are undated, but capture moments at the institution during the 1910s and 1920s. St. Mary's Academy was located in Prairie du Chien until 1928, when it was renamed Mount Mary College and located to its present location in Milwaukee.

1920s

Many of these photos from the archives at Mount Mary are undated, but capture moments at the institution during the 1910s and 1920s. St. Mary's Academy was located in Prairie du Chien until 1928, when it was renamed Mount Mary College and located to its present location in Milwaukee.

1920s

Many of these photos from the archives at Mount Mary are undated, but capture moments at the institution during the 1910s and 1920s. St. Mary's Academy was located in Prairie du Chien until 1928, when it was renamed Mount Mary College and located to its present location in Milwaukee.

1920s

Many of these photos from the archives at Mount Mary are undated, but capture moments at the institution during the 1910s and 1920s. St. Mary's Academy was located in Prairie du Chien until 1928, when it was renamed Mount Mary College and located to its present location in Milwaukee.

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