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Part of the American
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Estelle Reel 1895 ~ 1959
Estelle Reel
Miss Estelle Reel is a woman who has
done a great work in the United States. She was for many years
superintendent of the Indian schools established by the United
States Government in the various states. The fact that she
served under different secretaries of the Interior Department
and Commissioners of Indian Affairs is a guarantee that her work
was satisfactory. Miss Reel is a practical woman, possessed of
great executive ability and business capacity. She traveled many
miles on horseback and endured hardships in the conscientious
pursuance of her duties.
After finishing her education in St Louis and the East, Miss
Reel was obliged to go to Wyoming for her health. Here she
became a teacher and the climate proved all she had desired. She
was a resident of Laramie County, the largest county of that
state and its political center. During the absence of one of her
friends, who was county superintendent. Miss Reel felt it her
duty to look after her friend's interests, and so impressed were
the political leaders of that section by her ability that Miss
Reel was nominated for county superintendent, which was her
introduction into politics.
Her campaign was made solely on the
school question in that section of the country. She was elected
by a large majority and re-elected. During her services as
county superintendent of Laramie County she brought about many
improvements in the school system. Every school was comfortably
housed and conditions were brought up to a much higher standard.
She was then named for state
superintendent of schools and was the first woman to occupy this
position in any state of the union. She became very much
interested in the leasing and disposition of the state school
land with the object of securing a good school fund. The result
of her efforts in this direction was that the state of Wyoming
in a few years enjoyed a most satisfactory school fund and the
best possible system of schools. Her duties as state
superintendent took her all over the state. Many of these
journeys were made on horseback.
Her work in this position brought her to
the attention of the officials when the Indian schools were
established. They believed she would bring practical common
sense into the management of these schools, an important factor
in the education of the Indian. Her work has proven most
satisfactory to the government Miss Reel believed in a practical
education and the Indians were first taught English, then
industrial training as well as education from books. She was
equally popular with her "charges," who frequently requested her
to take entire care of their children.
Miss Reel left the government service
June 30, 1910 to marry Mr. Curt L. Meyer, of Toppenish,
Washington.
Women of
America
Source: The Part Taken by Women in
American History, By Mrs. John A. Logan, Published by The Perry-Nalle
Publishing Company, Wilmington, Delaware, 1912.
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