From the archives of the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library:
Mrs. Mary Morgan was a strong and vocal public servant for decades in Sault Ste. Marie. She gave of her time to many organizations over the years, including serving on the Board for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, as the President of the West Algoma’s Women’s Liberal Association, as Convenor of the Citizenship Committee of the Local Council of Women and her many years as a trustee on the Public School Board of Sault Ste. Marie.
Mrs. Morgan was even asked, at a convention of the Prohibition Union of Sault Ste. Marie on Monday, November 1st, 1926, if she would consider accepting the “dry” nomination and become an opponent of the Hon. James Lyons. Mary, however, held little hope of success in the case of her nomination.
“I am a Laborite and have no chance of election,” she told those gathered at the convention. “But if my acceptance of the nomination is satisfactory to the committee, and will do the cause any good, I will consider the matter.”
Mrs. Morgan would not, however, become the “dry standard bearer” for the Prohibition Party. After an evening of consideration and discussion with her family, she announced that she could not accept the ‘dry’ nomination for the upcoming election.
One of Mary’s most passionate causes was the education of children in Algoma. Mrs. Morgan served ten years as a trustee on the Public School Board of Sault Ste. Marie, before retiring from her position. During her time on the board, she was “an outstanding example of what women may accomplish in public life.” Mary was first made a trustee in 1922 and served for a one-year term. In 1928, she returned and faithfully served until 1936, when she retired.
Mrs. Morgan was an outstanding female figure in public service in Sault Ste. Marie at a time when women were not readily accepted as decision makers, especially in the public sector. In fact, Mary was the only woman on the board during the time that she served.
She often told others that she strived never to be considered as a woman, but rather a member of the board.
“I have been a member of the board, and the men looked upon me as such, instead of a woman. It was one thing I was always pleased with,” Mary said in an interview in 1936.
“Public business cannot be conducted by men and women,” she continued. “They must all be members of an organization and representatives of the people.” However, Mary also recognized that women may look at things from a different perspective than men, and as such, believed her position on a board filled with only men was beneficial for everyone.
Mrs. Morgan was also known to be a staunch defender of her beliefs and not one to mince words.
“I hit hard sometimes, and I have invited hard hits back. As a woman, this would have been impossible but as a member of the board, it is different.”
Mrs. Morgan was a force to be reckoned with, not shying away from setting a precedent when she felt education needed to progress alongside science and medicine.
Mrs. Morgan was a staunch advocate for employing qualified local teachers, believing they should be given preference in hiring for all positions. Up until that time, many positions were being filled by out-of-town applicants, and Mary argued that “there was a strong feeling in the city that local girls should be given the preference.”
Mrs. Morgan was also an advocate for the school nurses, whom she felt came to her with many problems they would not have felt comfortable addressing with the male members of the school. Mary believed that “the school nurses are responsible for 50 per cent of the regular attendance of the children at school.” She lauded the wonderful work that the nurses did each day and how they gave of their time and energy, which included going into the homes of the schoolchildren who needed help.
During the time that Mrs. Morgan was a member of the board, the members not only served as trustees but also began supplying warm clothing for the children of the district who would have otherwise gone without. Mary took much of the responsibility on her own shoulders to ensure that this basic necessity was met.
Mary was also a staunch foe of corporal punishment, which was common practice at that time.
“I would do away with it entirely, if possible,” she stated when questioned on her feelings about its use in the schools. As the chairman of the Management Committee,
Mrs. Morgan drafted a questionnaire that was distributed to the schools. Teachers were required to fill out the questionnaire each time they administered corporal punishment to a student. These questionnaires were then handed to the board on a monthly basis for review.
As a result of the questionnaires implemented by Mrs. Morgan, the use of corporal punishment was significantly reduced in the schools.
“We found that some of our best teachers did not use the strap, and many trial things which warranted corporal punishment before are now treated in a different way. Corporal punishments have been reduced 50 per cent, and I consider this the most worthwhile thing I have done while on the board.”
Mary was also a strong proponent of dental care for students in Algoma. In 1931, when Mrs. Morgan was chairman of the Board, she had plans all laid out to establish a dental clinic for children whose parents could not afford dental care. Unfortunately, the Great Depression arrived, and the plans had to be abandoned.
“The one thing I regret that I haven’t been able to assist in accomplishing,” Mary told the Sault Star in 1936, “is the establishment of dental clinics in connection with the school.” It was her sincere hope, however, that this would come in time.
During this ten year time period that Mary Morgan was on the School Board, she served as chairman of the Management Committee, chairman of the Board, chairman of the Health Committee, and Chairman of the Purchasing Committee.
Mary’s retirement, however, was short-lived as she would return to serve on the board in the early 1940s. Mary herself had said in 1936 that she didn’t feel that she was retiring permanently from the school board and looked forward to eventually returning.
It was her belief, however, that “in public service it is well for some to step back, and let someone else have a chance. The public gets tired of the same people running things.”
Mrs. Morgan was a firm believer in the importance of serving the public, especially for women.
“I feel that public service broadens a woman’s view and makes us better mothers and wives,” Morgan said. “We endeavour to see the problems that face us through the eyes of the other person. We realize that there is life outside the four walls of our own home, and a greater need for service.”
And Mary most definitely did not just talk the talk; she walked the walk…and helped clear the road for those that came after.
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