Mary Carpenter
Mary Carpenter
Originally Submitted By: Larissa Wurm, Drake University, Dec 1, 2010
About Her
Mary Carpenter is known for being connected with the Drake community for 60 years. Students remember seeing her swinging at her home as they made their way to Oskaloosa College, the predecessor of University], and the college where her father was president. She came to Drake in 1881, the year it opened. Four years later, she graduated with top honors with a bachelor's degree in philosophy. Mary was also the niece of General F.M. Drake, whom Drake University was named after, the daughter of the first chancellor [[wurml:George Thomas Carpenter George Thomas Carpenter], the wife of the second chancellor, the librarian at Drake, and later became the Dean of Women [1].
She was also well known for being friendly and for her loyalty to her friends and Drake. President Morehouse said of her "She was one of the few persons who never criticized anyone and who never had a discouraging word" [2]. Many students would go to her for help or guidance. One student said, in a now classic quote, that "it was a part of every boy's education at Drake to fall in love with Mary Carpenter"[1].
She was the librarian from 1897 to 1905, when she became the dean of women until 1908. Her term ended (by resigning) when she married William Bayard Craig, the second chancellor of Drake University. She first moved to Denver, moved on to New York, then finally to California. After William's death in 1918, Mary returned to Drake and served again as the dean of women until 1931, when she left to marry again . Her second marriage was to Dr. John Addison Shreck, a physician in Des Moines . She died March 27th, 1939 from an elongated illness[3].