Mary Jean Simpson (July 18, 1888 – November 29, 1977) was the first woman to be appointed a position as bill clerk in the Office of the Secretary of the United States Senate and she was the Dean of Women at the University of Vermont.
[2] In 1933, during the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt became president, and Simpson lost her position.
[4] Mary Jean Simpson became the Dean of Women at the University of Vermont (UVM) in 1937.
These letters showed the high standards she had set for women students at UVM.
The letters said women "should not let her work pile up, nor sacrifice regular study hours to pleasant social demands, nor give more time than she can afford to ‘dates,’ sports, or other extra-curricular activities.
[3] The university presents the Mary Jean Simpson Award to a female student every year at graduation.
[3] The award goes to a woman who best exemplifies Mary Jean Simpsons character, leadership and scholarship.
[4] Mary Jean Simpson passed away in 1977 at the age of 89 in East Craftsbury, Vermont.