The Teachers' Cottages

The Teachers' Cottages. . , Built in 1929 with funds provided by the American Missionary Association, the two bungalow residences in front of you, Brightside and Gregg Cottages, served as housing for married teachers. Many faculty lived on campus, in these cottages, the Carrie M. Stone Cottage, and in the dormitories., For all faculty, working at Palmer was a ceaseless job. Long-time faculty member Ruth Totton recalled, in a 1999 interview, that faculty served as surrogate parents, chaperoned trips into town and abroad, directed class plays, joined students at social events, monitored study halls, and more. Teachers at Palmer were also held to high personal standards by Dr. Brown, who expected them to model the social graces and etiquette they were teaching students. The heavy workload and pressure contributed to a high turnover rate for teachers, but also ensured that those faculty members who stayed were committed to Dr. Brown's mission., [Captions:] , Dr. Brown (front row, center) posing with the school faculty after graduation in the early 1920s., In the early years, Dr. Brown did not allow card games on campus, but in the 1940s she loosened the restriction on the condition that there would be no gambling. A card game in one of the Teachers' Cottages is pictured here, 1947. Griffith Davis Collection., Photo of Ruth Totten from the 1970 yearbook, which the students dedicated to her.