Kidd-Key College
Encyclopedia
Kidd-Key College was a college
and music conservatory for women located in Sherman, Texas
. The college was formed in 1919 after first being a private high school
and then a college under a different name. At the time, having a college for women was a new idea but one of the reasons the college closed in the 1920s was due to the old-fashioned rules and regulations that were enforced.
In the 1860s, the Sherman Male and Female High School was opened in rented space in the Odd Fellows Hall
. The trustees bought some land and a two-story building was
constructed to house the new school. In 1877, the State made a contract with the North Texas Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, which changed the high school into the North Texas Female College and the males who used to attend the high school attended other schools. The purpose of the school was for “the support of a female college, a school of fine arts, and a conservatory of music”. Lucy Ann Thornton Kidd, a widowed teacher from Mississippi
, was selected to be the president of the College. She became Lucy Ann Kidd-Key after marrying Bishop Joseph S. Key in 1892.
During her time as president of the college, the rules were very strict and emphasized the arts while Mrs. Kidd-Key focused on maintaining the virtue of the women who attended her school. They were only allowed visitors on certain days and at certain times, chaperoned walks, and all students were required to attend church every Sunday. In 1912, the college gained membership into the Founders Club of Southern Methodist University
. They had correspondence with SMU and had a genial relationship with them. The president of Kidd-Key College even offered SMU some advice and gave them some pointers on what to expect as a new school. However, the opening of Southern Methodist University in 1915 resulted in a decline of funding from the North Texas Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The enrollment rate began to decline with the loss of funding as well as fewer students being drawn in by the strict rules and regulations in place at the college. Mrs. Kidd-Key died in 1916 and her son, Edwin Kidd, took her place as president of the college.
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
and music conservatory for women located in Sherman, Texas
Sherman, Texas
Sherman is a city in and the county seat of Grayson County, Texas, United States. The city's estimated population as of 2009 was 38,407. It is also one of two principal cities in the Sherman-Denison Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
. The college was formed in 1919 after first being a private high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
and then a college under a different name. At the time, having a college for women was a new idea but one of the reasons the college closed in the 1920s was due to the old-fashioned rules and regulations that were enforced.
In the 1860s, the Sherman Male and Female High School was opened in rented space in the Odd Fellows Hall
Odd Fellows Hall
The Odd Fellows Hall in Covington, Kentucky is located at the northeast corner of Fifth Street and Madison Avenue. It was constructed in 1856 by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Lodge, and was the center of Covington's civic and political life for most of the Victorian era. When the American...
. The trustees bought some land and a two-story building was
constructed to house the new school. In 1877, the State made a contract with the North Texas Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, which changed the high school into the North Texas Female College and the males who used to attend the high school attended other schools. The purpose of the school was for “the support of a female college, a school of fine arts, and a conservatory of music”. Lucy Ann Thornton Kidd, a widowed teacher from Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, was selected to be the president of the College. She became Lucy Ann Kidd-Key after marrying Bishop Joseph S. Key in 1892.
During her time as president of the college, the rules were very strict and emphasized the arts while Mrs. Kidd-Key focused on maintaining the virtue of the women who attended her school. They were only allowed visitors on certain days and at certain times, chaperoned walks, and all students were required to attend church every Sunday. In 1912, the college gained membership into the Founders Club of Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
. They had correspondence with SMU and had a genial relationship with them. The president of Kidd-Key College even offered SMU some advice and gave them some pointers on what to expect as a new school. However, the opening of Southern Methodist University in 1915 resulted in a decline of funding from the North Texas Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The enrollment rate began to decline with the loss of funding as well as fewer students being drawn in by the strict rules and regulations in place at the college. Mrs. Kidd-Key died in 1916 and her son, Edwin Kidd, took her place as president of the college.
- In 1919, the name of the college was changed to Kidd-Key College and Conservatory. Due to the decline in enrollment, Edwin Kidd coordinated with the president of Austin CollegeAustin CollegeAustin College is a private liberal arts college affiliated by covenant relationship with the Presbyterian Church and located in Sherman, Texas, about 60 miles North of Dallas....
to share facilities and programs. The curriculumCurriculumSee also Syllabus.In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults...
at Kidd-Key College was also reduced to a few choice classes to try to preserve the college as much as possible. These efforts worked temporarily, but the campusCampusA campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...
was eventually closed and liquidated. In 1933, the North Texas Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church gave full backing to Southern Methodist University and no longer wished to support Kidd-Key College. In June 1935, after the final class was graduated, the campus closed forever. Today, there is nothing left of the original buildings.