A Tribute to a Teacher

Interesting that at 78, I would still think about a teacher I had way back in the 40's. At the time I knew her, her actions were memorable but I did not recognize the mark she left on the ladies of Gladwin county, Michigan. She enabled their entry into organized sports. Sort of.

Miss Huber-her name may have been Edith, was my teacher in either 3rd or 4th grade, and we were housed after 'the war' in what we called the 'chicken coops',  a building next to the school, with rooms  for the overcrowded school system in what was either earlier classrooms, or part of some storage/heating/coal bin system near the big brick school on Maple. The big school housed elementary school classes as well as high school students at this time, with a cafeteria in the basement, and school offices on the ground floor.

Miss Huber was not married, middle aged, she dressed very business-like in neat gaberdine suits, crisp blouses, and kept her hair very short and neat. She wore sensible, laced up black  heels with opaque nylons.  She loved children, and we soon found that she was kind and fair,  and enjoyed our successes immensely. She laughed with us and scolded for misbehaving. She was very approachable, and listened to our tales.

I don't know when I stopped jumping rope or playing hop scotch and started watching the soft ball games, but I was just drawn to it, which was very unusual for a girl. Our neighbors, over our back fence, also a family of Hubers, used to play wild soft ball games with their children in the back yard, and if I stood by the fence long enough, they would invite me to join them. I was in heaven.

Back in the school yard, I asked the boys if I could learn to play, and they rolled on the ground laughing, and enjoyed the thought of a girl playing ball. I was not deterred, and tried to join their game. This is like letting a 4 year old join a poker tournament, and the  boys had lots of fun getting me to do the wrong thing, or pitching fast balls past me.

So why were the girls not playing ball? Many played at home in some vacant field, and enjoyed the game, and it occurred to us that if we had a ball and a bat, we could learn to play at our own level. We asked Miss Huber if we could have our own ball and bat.

Miss Huber suggested that we could go and ask our school principal, Mr. Parker, in his office in the big school. Wow. So, with our request properly rehearsed, the three 'committee members' left for Mr. Parker's office. I'm sure we walked close together, and tried not to have sweaty palms.

Mr. Parker heard our request, looked us over carefully, and then turned us down. "Girls don't play softball," he told us. And back to Miss Huber we came, with our sad report. She never said a word.

Next day, we were very surprised to see Miss Huber marching out to the playground. She had a softball and a bat in her arms, and she called to us girls, to come and play softball, and she proceeded to organize, instruct, run, bat, encourage, and laugh, as we played our first of many softball games. I can still see her running for first base in her business blues and her laughter as we girls made our blunders .

We also figured out that if we girls hurried at recess, we could get the 'good' diamond behind the school, the one with the best bases and outfield, much to the concern of the boys, who had never had to share. Too bad, boys. After being assured we intended to play ball there, they finally scuffed off to the back of the playground, not without the proper word bombs about girls playing ball.

Now the next surprise.A few days later, the high school door opened, and Mr. Parker himself strolled onto the playground. Our ball game stopped, and we watched as he motioned for us to come over. Would girls be punished for playing softball? Maybe our parents would be notified!

No, instead he handed us two softballs, and two bats, and wished us well with our softball game. Our eyes widened!  We now had our own official girls softball equipment. This was big for us, and we were soon back working on our game on our favorite ball diamond.

I can't say this was the beginning of  ladies softball in Gladwin, but I can tell you it was the first on the playground in 1947. But what I think about now, was this teacher who stood up for us, in a fashion we can only guess about. This teacher must have taken our cause as a serious breech of girls rights to play sports on an equal with the boys. Teaching girls to properly play the game was one thing, getting the school principal to reverse his decision, and personally admit this to teachers and students alike in a public fashion must have been huge.

I wish I could tell you about Miss Huber's courage as she stood up for the little girls in her class, how she politely and firmly disagreed with a superior, how she felt this  was unfairness toward girls sports, but I cannot. I can only imagine, as she never said a word, never batted an eyelash.  I wonder if she asked for a hearing before the school board? Did she threaten to sit-in, or protest? I only know that she knew that "fair is fair".

 I wish I could say her name is on a plaque in the library, or a softball field is named for her. No one ever gave her the credit for her victory, nor the future joy it would support.  I'm sure this is as she would have wished.

The best ball games are still in the front yard, with most calls argued, and time out for ice cream. I still love the game, and I remember this teacher, who gave us a privilege we now take for granted, in her own quiet way.

So girls, when you play your game, think of Miss Huber, and hit one over the fence for her. She would love that. 

Thanks again, Miss Huber.