Former dean tells students Dean England was a woman ahead of her time

Former Culver Girls Academy Dean Trudy Hall recalled Mary Frances England as an inspiring boss who was ahead of her time in the way that she led by building relationships, drawing people around her and knowing that women had to be comfortable advocating for themselves.

“I thank Dean England for seeing potential in my 20-something, very inexperienced self, for letting me run with my curiosity and for being a best-in-class role model for how to lead with purpose, with professional presence, and with a confident hand on the rudder,” said Hall, who was CGA dean from 1987 to 1990.

Hall was the keynote speaker on Sunday at the Dean England Day ceremony held at the Memorial Chapel to teach CGA students about England’s role in leading CGA as the first dean of the school.

“She was savvy, smart, and worldly enough to lead in ways that men would admire as she worked with her female team to create a school where students could practice authentic leadership,” Hall said. “She modeled for the women on campus how to walk that line, understanding the environment in which you have to lead, even as you strive to change it.”

She said England was a woman of unique life experiences who had created a structure she knew would set students up for success in the world. The fact that this leadership structure still exists at CGA 50 years later proves that England knew much about how women lead.

When talking about her working experience with England, Hall showed her strong admiration for how she led.

“I liked that you always knew where she stood on a subject, yet her mind was open to a well-crafted argument for a new idea,” she said.

England retired as CGA dean in 1984 and resumed her career in teaching English. Hall returned to Culver to become the third CGA dean in 1987 and said England was “no longer my boss; she became my mentor.”

Hall told the students that Hall believed in the power of “we” to get things done.

Hall also reminded the students of the challenges England faced when she was “the only woman in the administration of a very traditional military prep school for boys that had — not unanimously, I might add — decided to go coed.”  England had to dress in a uniform that looked like a man as much as possible with a blazer, skirt, conservative blouse, often with a silk bow or tie, sensible heels and minimal jewelry.

“Further, while a woman should lead like a man, she still had to ‘act feminine.’ A tricky balance … Women were encouraged not to react negatively to inappropriate male humor in the workplace — and there was a lot of it,” Hall said.

In the past, it was taken for granted for females to adapt to the leadership system formed for males. However, England demonstrated the difference between male and female leadership styles. She listed leadership as something that can only be shown by women's abilities.

“Women place great value on the quality of relationships and spend time managing strong personal connections. Women tend to prefer direct communication as opposed to communication up and down a chain of command,” Hall said.

Hall told the students they should appreciate the female leaders who led the way ahead by working hard and pointed out that the students at CGA could be the ones who confront future challenges.