A Legacy of Learning: “Miss D” and the Women Commissioners

In 1929, the Hillsdale College Board of Women Commissioners launched the Hillsdale College Nursery School, not only as a place of learning for the very young, but also as a learning situation in which College students in the fields of education, psychology and sociology could observe small children firsthand. From its humble beginnings in the basement of Mauck Hall to what is now the Mary Proctor Randall Preschool, Hillsdale’s pioneering preschool program has provided an invaluable learning experience for children, College students and teachers alike.  And much of the preschool’s success can be traced back to the decades of dedicated service from longtime director Elizabeth Dickinson, better known as “Miss D,” and the steadfast support of the Women Commissioners.

Hillsdale College hired Miss D in 1946 as director of the preschool. Within her first few years at the school, enrollment skyrocketed from a mere eight children to almost 50. Although the Women Commissioners helped to renovate the Mauck basement, bought new equipment and toys and provided for an outdoor playground, the need for an improved, more spacious facility could not be avoided. Miss D was warned by the State of Michigan that changes must be made to the existing preschool in order to continue.

In 1964, the Women Commissioners voted to build a new preschool and began an extensive effort to secure funds for the project. A generous donation from Mrs. Mary Proctor Randall as well as from Woman Commissioner Gladys Olds Anderson paved the way for a new preschool building.  Architect Dr. Alden B. Dow worked closely with Miss D and other faculty members and students in designing the distinct round building. In 1967, the Mary Proctor Randall Preschool was dedicated.

Miss D continued to serve as director until her retirement in 1984 at the age of 73. She volunteered her time at the school she dearly loved until her death in 1996. Under her direction, early childhood education evolved into a popular yet rigorous program. Education majors began to take a more active role in planning and preparing for each day. However, Miss D welcomed students from all disciplines who just wanted to gain a better understanding of children.

Miss D once said, “We want each child to be a caring human being—to learn to care for others.”  In the same spirit of caring that has characterized the preschool all these years, the Women Commissioners dedicated Miss D's Playhouse, pictured in the upper right corner of this page, in 1999 as a tribute to Miss D’s kind influence on hundreds of young children, and as a happy “home” for generations of children to come.