 |
|
Myrland, Ruth (1893-1977)
Ruth Myrland, who served as administrative assistant to four directors and associate deans during her forty-one year career at UW, earned a BA in History from UW in 1916. During the next five years she taught history at a high school, worked for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, and studied in the graduate program in Business Administration at Columbia University. After returning to Madison in 1921, she served for a year as administrative secretary to Nellie Kedzie Jones, director of Home Economics Extension, before becoming Abby Marlatt's administrative assistant. Over the next four decades, she continued in this position during the successive leaderships of Frances Zuill and Josephine Staab until her retirement in 1962. Several of the School's emeritus and emerita professors fondly remember Myrland's dedication to her position while she served under Frances Zuill. As Zuill's assistant, Myrland had responsibility for advising students about their academic careers and future plans, keeping student records, and answering questions from prospective students. Students found that she listened to them sympathetically and had a strong concern for their welfare. Myrland also took her responsibility for screening Zuill's visitors very seriously. One faculty member remembers that in order to see Zuill, it was necessary to wait for Myrland to leave her office to use the washroom, and then sneak through to Zuill's door. Another faculty member describes her as "the chair behind the throne." Certainly Myrland's dedication to her duties played an important role in the functioning of the Department and School for many years. |
||
|
