Delphine Hanna was born on December 2, 1854, in the small Midwestern town of Markeson, Wisconsin. She lived with her parents, Juliet Chadwick and John Vacausan Hanna, in Wisconsin until the age of 10, when her mother passed away. Following her mother’s death, Delphine moved to New York State to live with some relatives. In 1874, she graduated from Brockport, New York, State Normal School. Shortly after graduating, Hanna spent time teaching in public schools in New York and Kansas. While working in the school systems, she became interested in physical needs and disabilities, and began to realize that the students as well as teachers lacked physical endurance (Brief Outline of the Life and Work of Dr. Delphine Hanna). Following her newfound …show more content…
Prior to her arrival, Oberlin College offered little in regards to women’s physical education, whether it be classes, space to hold such classes, or a budget. In Delphine’s first year teaching at the college, things didn’t change much, in regards to space and budget anyway. She was given a tiny 29’ x 44’ room to use as a teaching space, and provided with only $300-$400 as a budget. In addition, she was paid a salary of $350 for her duties. Many may have been discouraged by the few resources and little compensation; however, Hanna persevered and made the best of the situation. That first year, 125 women were examined using anthropometric measurements (height, weight, waist/hip circumference) which was revolutionary for the time. Those women were then put into classes that focused on health fundamentals, and corrective procedures that taught balance, posture, strengthening weak arches, etc. Along with the health and physical education classes offered to female students, Hanna provided classes for female faculty, school aged children, and male students (Lynn, Minnie). Therefore, Delphine Hanna had introduced more structure to the teaching of health and physical concepts in one year than Oberlin College experienced in its previous 52 years of existence. And she was just getting