1910s Student Style Book

From Museum Collections

Regarded as “unusually capable,” Olive Stewart was a student in the College of Arts and Sciences between 1916 and 1920. Pictured here is her style book where she kept hand-written notes while she worked for the University Weekly newspaper. She rose from a staff reporter, to Society Editor, to Managing Assistant Editor by her senior year. In addition to her newspaper work, she chartered the Pi Kappa journalism fraternity for women and the Girl’s Rifle Club, together encouraging increased participation of women across campus in academic and social pursuits that challenged conventional expectations and norms of the time.

I came across her style book between numerous newspaper clippings that highlighted moments of Stewart’s life on campus. While these clippings relayed part of Stewart’s prolific accomplishments, the book provides a more personal glimpse into her thoughts as a dynamic young woman who has been hidden in distant university memories. Coming across this in the museum collections was important to me to learn about a UA woman alumnus who paved a way for herself and others like her. I find parts of myself in Stewart and feel connected to her by graduating from the College of Arts and Science one hundred years later. I hope by highlighting her once again to the Razorback community, current and future Razorbacks will look to Olive Stewart as an inspiration to achieve their own greatness.

Contributor: Cayla McGrail is a recent graduate of the University of Arkansas with a degree in History and Anthropology. During her time at the UA, she enjoyed working at the campus museum and finishing an honors thesis on women’s history. She is currently attending the University of Oregon for a Master’s in Historic Preservation to pursue a career in museums.