Today marks the last day of Women’s History Month, which means it was time for another deep-dive into the archives of Bluffton University. As history continues to be made by women of the university today, the following is only a brief glimpse of the few lives that have participated in the history of the university.
Naomi Brenneman and M’Della Moon
Naomi Brenneman. Photo courtesy of Bluffton University Archives.
Naomi Brenneman from the 1924 yearbook staff photo.
Naomi Brenneman was born in 1890 and died in 1985. Brenneman started working at then Bluffton College in 1918 as an English instructor and was head of the department. She became a professor of English in 1925 until her retirement in 1961, and for 43 of those years she was a chairwoman for the department of humanities. In March of 1972, more than 80 of Brenneman’s previous students gathered together to award their former teacher a gift. They remembered Brenneman’s wistful dream of taking a trip to England. They gathered the funds to offer her a trip to England as wells as the funds to establish the Naomi Brenneman Prize that annually awards a writer who submitted an outstanding essay written in an English class.
M’Della Moon was also born in 1890 and started her work at Bluffton College in 1921 as an instructor of biological sciences and then became professor in 1928 until retirement in 1961. Moon lived a very active and hands-on life. In her autobiography housed in the university’s archive, Moon tells of her childhood growing up with strict parents and her grandfather who believed that women belonged at home, “Kirche, Kinder and Kochin” (German for church, children and cooking). With her interested in furthering her education, her grandfather did eventually support Moon when she attended college by donating money securing her financial aid.
Moon was elected to a fellowship in the Society for Advancement of Science in America in 1930 while she was also a member of The American Genetic Association, The National Geographic Association, the Ohio Academy of Science and The American Nature Association. She was made a fellow of the Ohio Academy of Science in 1940. Upon her retirement, a news article clipping shared her thoughts on life values.
“For one thing, she feels that some of the best things in life have no monetary value and that often it is the small unrecognized things you do that make life happier for someone else. She also believes that everyone makes their own happiness and that they should do their very best on every opportunity given them.”
The resident dorm Bren-Dell was named in honor of these two esteemed professors.
Phyllis Diller
Phyllis Diller from Scope, a Bluffton College Bulletin, in 1973. Photo courtesy of Bluffton University Archives.
Phyllis Diller is one of the most famous students to have attended Bluffton College and she even wrote for The Witmarsum with ‘‘Around the Horn’’ and comics. Diller attended the college in 1938 and 1939, studying music after having attended the Sherwood Music School in Chicago for three years. Diller began her career as a comedian in 1955 and filled her career appearances films, TV shows, and live concerts. Amid her appearances in motion pictures, she worked with producing companies like Warner Brothers, Embassy Pictures, Universal, etc. She recorded a few records of her comedy acts as well as one singing album and her live concerts took place in places like the Valley Music Hall in Salt Lake City, O’Keefe Center in Toronto, Canada and the Civic Opera House in Chicago.
Diller was in many productions on stage and she was best known for her role as Dolly Gallagher Levi in the Broadway production of ‘Hello Dolly!’ She also hosted her own TV shows for several years during the 1960s while also guest starring on shows such as the Bob Hop show and The Tonight Show. Awards she as obtained over the years is also a very long list, but some of the outstanding awards include the TV Radio Mirror Award for best comedienne on TV, 1965, she had a Golden Globe nomination in 1966 for most prominent female TV personality of the year, she received the keys to the city of Baltimore and Buffalo, N.Y. in 1967, and the International Laurel Award that same year.
Having helped pave the way for future female comedians, Diller’s death swept over Hollywood. Personalities including Whoopi Goldberg, Henry Winkler, Ellen DeGeneres, Rosie O’Donnell, Larry King, Cher and Joan Rivers shared their respect, gratefulness and memories of Diller.
“We were friends – Melissa and I had a wonderful time with her at lunch just a month ago,” Posted Joan Rivers on Twitter. “The only tragedy is that Phyllis Diller was the last from an era that insisted a woman had to look funny in order to be funny. If she had started today, Phyllis could have stood there in Dior and Harry Winston and become the major star that she was. I adored her.
The Young Women’s Christian Association
YWCA during its early years of 1915. Photo from the 1915 yearbook.
A chapter of the Y. W. C. A. was established in 1914 according to one of the archived documents of the organization’s constitution. In the 1915 yearbook, it details how the organization had the ability to meet with influential people and attend various conventions. The efforts of the organization described in the 1919 yearbook tell of how the students rallied together during World War I, a time when many students went to serve the country. Since the majority of students who left were men, women of the college had to step in and fill the empty roles left on campus.
