Those planning on living in one of the Ikenberry Commons dorms next year will have another option to choose from: a dorm named after the first African-American woman to graduate from the University.  

The University’s newest residence hall, Bousfield Hall, is named in honor of Class of 1906 alumna Maudelle Tanner Brown Bousfield for her accomplishments as a student and educator. Bousfield Hall is scheduled to open for housing by Fall 2013 and will house about 480 students. 

“This is a great moment for African-Americans, whose contributions are often rendered invisible because they go unacknowledged,” said Safiya Noble, assistant professor in the department of African American Studies.

Bousfield is also the first building on campus to be named after an African-American. 

“I believe our buildings should be named after a diverse array of people who have contributed and enriched the campus and the communities,” Noble said, who is also a faculty affiliate in the Graduate School of Library and Information Science and the department of gender and women’s studies. 

Rory James, director of the Bruce D. Nesbitt African American Cultural Center, agrees. 

“It not only speaks to African-American students but to women students as well,” James said. “It’s a great move on part of the campus.”

Noble said she was inspired when reading about Bousfield’s life and thinks others will be too. 

Born into a family of educators in St. Louis, Bousfield’s determination and diligence helped her become “the first” in many areas, and the pioneer of African-American educators during a time of gender and racial discrimination.

“We always honor our firsts because they had to fight against the ravages of racism and segregation and all of us have benefited from their sacrifice,” said Abdul Alkalimat, professor in the department of African American studies and the Graduate School of Library and Information Science.

Considered musically gifted at a young age, Bousfield became the first black woman to attend and graduate from Charles Kunkel Conservatory of Music in St. Louis in 1903.

Shortly after, she became the only black woman on the Urbana campus during her first two years of attendance. One year later, she graduated the University with honors, majoring in mathematics and astronomy. 

Upon graduation, Bousfield taught mathematics at several high schools in Chicago, Baltimore and East St. Louis, Ill.

Though it was a hard time for many African-American teachers to obtain a permanent position, Bousfield’s previous teaching experience, exam scores and education at the University helped her to become the first African-American dean of a Chicago public school in 1926, according to 2009 article published in the Journal of Negro Education. 

Bousfield passed the two exams for a principal and dean position in the same week. She qualified for and passed the principal oral exam, which only 20 out of 600 candidates passed. 

In 1927, Bousfield continued progressing into her career, becoming the principal of Keith Elementary School in Chicago. At this point, she had accomplished what had been thought impossible for African-Americans to attain at the time, according to the journal.

But Bousfield continued to strive for more.

In 1931, Bousfield earned her master’s in education at the University of Chicago, completing her thesis, “A Study of the Intelligence and School Achievement of Negro Children.”

Bousfield was then promoted to principal of Stephan A. Douglas Elementary School in Chicago. During the Depression, she was demoted to Phillips High School — a school plagued by several problems — because of a cutback in principal positions in the city.

Although the school had a poor reputation, Bousfield hoped to build the school’s repute in sports, music, arts and education through her devotion to the students.

“Bousfield used her education and the opportunities it afforded her to make a difference for those most in need,” Noble said. “Her legacy of teaching and the shaping of lives of African-American children in institutional racism and poverty is one of the most brilliant things we can desire to model ourselves after.” 

Bousfield retired in 1950, leaving behind a legacy of 28 years of hard work and dedication to her students. Noble hopes Bousfield Hall will bring forth this message to  the University student body. 

“Honoring her legacy by naming a residence hall is a great acknowledgement to how important students are to us,” Noble said. “We are signaling that we care about them and we want them to be surrounded by messages of hope and purpose.”

Stephanie can be reached at [email protected]