Historical Background

• 1926: The State of Maryland allows M. Adele France, principal, to add a junior college division (first two years of post-secondary education). The institution changes its name slightly to St. Mary’s Female Seminary-Junior College. Miss France explains that “the time is past when we educated our daughters for ornaments only” and pledges that the junior college will prepare its young women for “an economic place in the world.”
• 1926: St. Mary’s now offers four courses of study: (1) a general high school curriculum; (2) a college preparatory high school curriculum; (3) a one-year business program for high school graduates; and (4) a two-year junior college program.
• 1930: The Junior College Division gives diplomas to its first four graduates (women)
• 1932: The Great Depression deepens, and Miss France turns down a salary increase of $1,000 due to “the existing business depression.”
• 1937: St. Mary’s eliminates the first two years of high school and now becomes a four-year junior college; The head of school is no longer known as “principal” but “president.”

Changes in the Curriculum

1928

In the year 1928, Psychology was first taught at St. Mary’s College of Maryland but back then it was known as St. Mary’s Female Seminary Junior College. It was an Elective course that was worth 6 credits and was taught 3 hours a week for a year. The course was a titled “General Psychology” and was intended to a lay foundation for further psychological work. It was at that time taught by Mrs. Mildred Urquhart, who graduated with an A. B., from Chicago University and M. A., from Columbia University, was also the English professor there.

General Psychology

Description: An introductory course intended to lay a foundation for further psychological work

1929

In 1929, psychology was not taught at St. Mary's. The reason for this was that Mary Adele France got into a bad car accident that year and as a result nobody could teach psychology. The original letter Mary Adele France wrote to her colleague explained that she had gotten into a car accident and had a long road to recovery.

1930

Miss. Adele France held an A. B., A. M., from Washington College in Maryland and a M. A. from Columbia University. She began teaching psychology and Philosophy in 1930 on top of her duties as the principal of the St. Mary’s Female Seminary Junior College. She taught “General Psychology” from 1930-1931, before the course titled changed to “Psychology” from 1931-1934. The “General Psychology” class continued to be taught for 3 hours a week for a year and was still only an elective but in 1932 it changed from being worth 6 credits to being worth 3 credits and taught for 3 hours a week for one semester.

1934

In 1934 a new professor began teaching psychology. Lura Frances Johnson held an A. B., from LaGrange College and an M. A. from Emory University. She taught mathematics and psychology from 1934 until 1942. In the school year of 1937-1938 Psychology was still offered as an elective but it changed into an upper division course. In 1938-1939 psychology become known as “General Psychology A” and the course description of this course now included, on top of laying a foundation for further psychological work, to give students a brief introduction to various fields of psychology and the study of the function of psychology in the world of today. In 1939-1940 psychology became integrated into the social studies major. It was still only taught by Miss. Johnson, but two other professors were also listed as Social Studies professors, Miss. Stemple and Miss. Hight.

� Source: Barnes (2011); Haugaard, Wilkinson, and King (2007); St. Mary's Female Seminary (1928-1940)