On February 15, 1869 the University of Nebraska was officially chartered as a part of the Morrill Act. The Morrill Land-Grant Act provided 30,000 acres of federal lands to the newly admitted state of Nebraska (1867) to create a university that would provide a “liberal and practical education” to its citizens, including women. From Alice Frost, the first woman graduate, to Louise Pound and her support of athletics for women, to Grace Margaret Morton and her widely used textbook “The Arts of Costume and Personal Appearance,” women, both faculty and students, have played an important role in the history of the university. Using objects from the Department of Textiles, Merchandising & Fashion Design’s Historic Costume and Textiles collections, and with period images and narratives providing context, this exhibition offers a partial glimpse into women’s experience at the University of Nebraska.
Visit this free exhibit until Friday, May 10 at the Robert Hillestad Textiles Gallery. Learn more at https://cehs.unl.edu/textilegallery/neb-150/.