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Higgins, Mary Ellen Roach (1921 - )
Mary Ellen Roach Higgins' interdisciplinary background--a BA in English from the University of Kansas (1942), an MS in Textiles and Clothing from Iowa State University (1948) and a Doctorate in Sociology and Anthropology from Michigan State University (1960)--provided her with unique qualifications for her research in the social, psychological and cultural aspects of dress. After earning her undergraduate degree, Higgins taught high school home economics in Lebanon, Valley Falls, and Altoona, Kansas. A developing interest in textile chemistry prompted her to pursue her Masters degree, after which she taught at both the University of Connecticut and the University of Rhode Island. She was an instructor at Michigan State before completing her doctoral dissertation, which treated the relationship between young women's clothing choices and social class. Higgins was appointed to the School of Home Economics in 1960, where she served first in the Clothing and Textiles Department and later in the Environment, Textiles and Design Program Area. One of her greatest contributions to the school was to establish a strong research program in textiles and clothing. Based on her research into the function of clothing as a non-verbal means of communication, she co-authored or co-edited four books: Dress, Adornment and the Social Order (1965), The Visible Self: Perspectives on Dress (1973), New Perspectives on the History of Western Dress: A Handbook (1980), and Dress and Identity (1995). She also served as coordinator of research at the Experiment Station for several years. Higgins' teaching related to her areas of research. In addition to revising the history of costume class, which she renamed the "History of Western Dress," she taught courses on non-Western dress and on the social and psychological aspects of dress. Since retiring, she has continued her participation in various professional activities including the presentation of papers at meetings and seminars. |
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