In 1962 the editor for the Notable American women 1607-1950: A Biographical Dictionary rejected the inclusion of Alice Lloyd in the dictionary, claiming that “her career does not seem to measure up in importance to those of the other college administrators we are including.”[1] Yet Lloyd’s importance to the university and to women of the nation collectively cannot be overlooked, especially considering how her life work took place at a time when women’s advancement was not considered a national priority.

Alice Crocker Lloyd was born on Washtenaw Avenue on December 9, 1893 to Alfred H. and Margaret Crocker Lloyd. From the beginning, she had close ties to the University of Michigan, with her father working as a philosophy instructor at the institution, and later as the dean of the graduate school and acting president. She would eventually attend this university, acting as a “serious minded and successful” student beginning in 1912, following graduation from the Girls’ Upper School of Milton Academy in Massachusetts. [2] Later, she would serve as Dean of Women, beginning in 1930. Yet the University wasn’t the only institution with which she had close ties. Like her mother, Lloyd was a devoted member of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, where she was a contralto and soloist in the choir. Her love for music prompted her to join student dramatics organizations while still a student at the University, and later found the Ann Arbor Dramatic Season. Her home would eventually host theatrical and musical performances put on by women students from the University and professionals in Ann Arbor.

The bulk of Lloyd’s career would revolve around women’s issues, but she explored other career options early on in her life. Following graduation from the University in 1916, she spent two years teaching at her own private school. Then, in 1918, she headed to New York City to train as a nurse at St. Luke’s Hospital, earning her RN in 1921. Yet rather than embarking on a career as a nurse, Lloyd began working with women in a more administrative capacity, serving as a probation officer in the Delinquent Girls and Neglect Department of the Social Service Wayne County Juvenile Court in Detroit.[3] Undoubtedly, this proved valuable experience for dealing with administrative women’s issues in a university setting—in 1926, Lloyd was appointed Adviser of Women Students at the University of Michigan, along with two other women, and quickly became chairman. Then, four years later, she was named Dean of Women. Upon her appointment, the Michigan Daily described her as “sympathetic, firm when firmness is required, but wise in making exceptions.”

In her capacity as Dean of Women, Lloyd was instrumental in creating an awards system for women in the university not affiliated with a sorority, granting these students equal opportunities for distinction and advancing their post-college careers. She founded the Alpha Lambda Delta chapter at the university, and expanded social, athletic, and housing facilities at the University. Notably, she oversaw the construction of the Stockwell and Mosher-Jordan residence halls for women. She even had a $700 fellowship for the graduate study by professional women named for her. However, her activities weren’t towards the university exclusively—she served on a plethora of other committees, including Zonta, the Mortar Board, and became President of the National Association of Deans of Women in 1941. During World War II, Lloyd served on two national committees for the US Navy, as well as the State Advisory Committee of WAC. She earned the Navy’s certificate of appreciation in 1946 for her “meritorious personal service.” [4]

Alice Lloyd died March 3, 1950 of a long-term illness, when only 56 years old. At the time she still lived in the home she had been brought up in, showing her deep ties to the Ann Arbor area and the University of Michigan. Following her passing, her service to the university and to women across the nation was honored by naming the residence hall beside Mosher-Jordan after her.

Notes:

1. Letter from Notable American women, 1962, Alice C. Lloyd Papers.
2. Alice Lloyd Biography, ibid.
3. CV for Alice Lloyd, ibid.
4. Navy Certificate of Appreciation, 1946, ibid.

Image Credit:

Dean Alice Lloyd, Rentschler’s Studio (Ann Arbor, Mich.), Alumni Association Records.