LUCY ELIZABETH TEXTOR
1870 - 1958
Lucy Elizabeth Textor, professor emerita of history
at Vassar College, died at Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania,
on June 29, 1958 in her eighty-eighth year. Upon this
occasion Vassar College pays tribute to a loyal friend
and to a teacher who served for thirty-six years as
an active member of its faculty, and to a historian
who, with the encouragement of Lucy Maynard Salmon,
then chairman of the Department of History, was respon-
sible for the development of Russian, eastern European,
and Far Eastern history at the college in the early
years of this century when such studies in the United
States were mainly limited to a few large universities.
Miss Textor was the daughter of Joseph Conrad and
Elizabeth Kuhn Textor. Though born in West Virginia,
she spent most of her early life in Chicago and took
her first degree of Bachelor of Philosophy at the
University of Michigan. Her interest in history and in
teaching, awakened at Michigan, led her to Stanford
University where she was awarded the Master's Degree in
American history. In odd contrast to the field to which
she later devoted herself her thesis, which, unlike
most master's dissertations, was published, dealt with
the relations between the United States government and
the Sioux Indians.
By teaching in a private school in Palo Alto and later
in a high school in New Haven, Connecticut, Miss Textor
supported herself while she earned her Ph.D. degree at
Yale University. Immediately thereafter she came as an
instructor to Vassar College in 1905.
A few years ago, long after she had retired, on the
occasion of a visit to Vassar Miss Textor told her
younger colleagues in the history department of Miss
Salmon's encouragement of her ambition to specialize in
Russian history and how the older woman insisted on
her getting field experience at the earliest opportunity
Traveling in Russia alone in 1909 and again in 1911 was
an adventurous step for a young American woman. She
traveled widely in Russia and much to her surprise and
delight found herself the object of hospitality from
many Russian families who generously felt that they
must instruct, protect, and entertain this young western
student of their country. From that day on Miss Textor
became a warm-hearted friend of the Slavic peoples and
an interpreter of their culture to her students and
to the public.
LUCY ELIZABETH TEXTOR (Continued)
After the First World War Miss Textor's special
interests turned to Czechoslovakia, then newly
independent. She spent a sabbatical year in that
country and published, in London in 1923, a book on
Agrarian Reform in Czechoslovakia. In 1928 a number
of American educators, including John Dewey, were
invited by the Commissar of Education, Lunarchorsky,
to visit the Russian schools. At that time many
people in this country were still hopeful that some-
thing good would result from the great Russian experi-
ment. In her talks after her return, Miss Textor
reflected this hope, though she was without illusions
about the totalitarian and ruthless character of the
regime. A longer stay in Russia of over eight months
in 1930-31 gave her a closer view. She lived not as
a tourist but as the Russians did (in her case with
a fourth class food card which only entitled her to
a small amount of black bread, dried fish, and tea
and sugar upon occasion). She taught English to help
support herself. She attended one of the earliest
purge trials and saw some of the worst sufferings of
the period of forced liquidation of the kulaks and
returned highly critical of the Stalinist regime.
At Vassar Miss Textor's studies led to the organization
of new courses, especially to a senior course in the
history of Central and Eastern Europe. She also gave
a course from time to time in Far Eastern History in
which she did not claim to be a specialist, but to
which her interest in Russian Eastern expansion
naturally attracted her. She was much in demand as a
lecturer to women's organizations and to other groups
in the mid-Hudson valley and as far away as Detroit
and Chicago.
Many present members of the Vassar faculty remember
Miss Textor in the later years of her career as a
stately but outgoing and warm-hearted woman, friendly
to newcomers. She supported ardently the development
of the infant Russian Department, which grew to regular
status during the 1930's. In those years of Hitlerite
expansion Miss Textor was most active in arousing
American sympathy for the Czechs and later for the
Poles in their suffering under Nazi domination. Her
generosity, in the spending of self and substance,
knew no bounds. There were many opportunities for her
to help refugees from Russia as well as from Poland
and Czechoslovakia with friendly hospitality, wise
counsel and financial aid. She was able to repay
LUCY ELIZABETH TEXTOR (Continued)
hospitality granted her in earlier days by helping
to resettle in Canada the surviving members of a
Russian family. Several scholars from Czechoslovakia
were introduced to academic circles in this country
through her efforts, and as a result, were able to
establish themselves in suitable positions.
After her own retirement, Miss Textor's sympathies and
energies were largely occupied for some years by the
protracted invalidism of her dear friend, Miss Florence
White, Emeritus Professor of French. Miss Textor
devoted herself whole-heartedly to Miss White, not only
going much actual nursing, but providing an atmosphere
of serenity and cheerful hospitality. Later, in spite
of failing eyesight and the infirmities of advancing
years, she continued to demonstrate courage, wit, and
good spirits.
Now, after the close of this long life of active service
to scholarship, to generations of students, to her
country, and to the cause of international good will,
we salute Lucy Elizabeth Textor to whom Vassar College
owes enduring honor, gratitude and affection
Charles C. Griffin
Ruth E. Conklin
XIV - 446-447