Educational pioneers: Sisters Clara and Mary Hoffman
Researched and written by Rebecca Ebersole Kasparek
In the 1900s, when few women in the church pursued education beyond high school, sisters Clara (seated) and Mary Hoffman not only put themselves through advanced education, but they also became pillars of the Messiah community, together contributing 79 years of service.
These plain-clothed pioneers influenced countless students as teachers and in other capacities—Clara, as Messiah’s first librarian and resident etiquette expert; and Mary, as the curator of Messiah’s first museum. They extended hospitality to students by hosting informal teas, offering free tutoring, and inviting students into their home. One student reflected in a school newspaper editorial: “I was entertained not as a mere student paying a troublesome call, but as an honored guest.” Like so many early faculty, the sisters received very modest compensation for their efforts and demonstrated thrift and sacrificial service.
As they pursued their vocational callings, the Hoffman sisters lived out their devotion to both faith and intellectual inquiry. They represented women’s expanding influence in church and society. In 1911, Mary Hoffman wrote these remarkable words: “We are glad for the place women have in conducting the affairs of the world. They have entered nearly every field of labor formerly only occupied by men and are proving themselves capable of doing satisfactory work in these places.”
Messiah College recognized the dedication of Clara and Mary Hoffman by naming Hoffman Building in their honor. So important were the sisters during the College’s formative years that Historian E. Morris Sider calls them “institutions within an institution… they seemed as much a part of the campus as the buildings and trees themselves.” As we celebrate our Centennial, we honor these women who helped to lay the foundation for Messiah College and who inspire us to work courageously as we envision our future together.
|
