A highly educated woman, Kruger was one of the first women to become a department head at the college. Under Kruger’s capable leadership, the enrollment in the home economics program grew substantially. Through her departmental work and affiliation with the Women’s League, she played an instrumental role in keeping the college open and students enrolled in classes during the troubled times of the 1930s.
Kruger attended Coe College and graduated with degrees in German, mathematics and home economics. She was a highly educated woman who went on to complete her graduate work at the University of Chicago, University of Iowa and Columbia University. She first joined the Concordia faculty in 1929 and immediately took the position as head of the home economics department. At this time, Kruger was the first, and only, female department head. It wasn’t until the early 1940s when another woman, Mae Anderson in mathematics, became the next female department head. Kruger served as the head of the home economics department until 1958, but she did not retire from teaching at Concordia until 1963.
During Kruger’s time as department head, the enrollment in the program increased with more than 200 women graduating with Home Economic degrees during her tenure. In the 1940s, under Kruger’s leadership, the Home Economics House was created. The house created a unique opportunity for girls to get hands-on experience with managing a house. For example, students would gain experience cooking multi-course meals, which were often judged by Kruger and other members of the home economics department as a way to grade the girls’ performance. In addition to her innovative, practical pedagogy, Kruger worked to diversify the interest in home economics among male students. While she never had a male in one of her classes, she did have many conversations with young men whose girlfriends or fiancées had taken her courses. Regular topics of conversation with these students included marriage advice, nutrition advice and tips on how to help around the house.
Not only was Kruger significantly engaged with the home economics department, but she was also involved with many organizations during her time at Concordia. Through her active involvement in both the home economics department and the Concordia Women’s League, Kruger played an instrumental role in the college surviving the Great Depression. Kruger regularly scheduled bake sales and other events that the students in her department would host. These events earned much needed revenue for the college during a time when students struggled to pay their increasing tuition and supplies fees. Kruger’s work with the Women’s League was also crucial to student retention. During the Great Depression, tuition increased dramatically. For the previous decade, semester charges had averaged around $185. In the 1930s, however, semester fees rose to more than $200. While this may not seem like an incredible increase in cost, for students at the time it was immense. Including costs of books, and room and board, the cost of Concordia rose to around $400. The Women’s League, and Kruger, began offering awards, scholarships and loans to students who needed the money to stay enrolled. Being able to keep the enrollment numbers stable allowed for continual revenue, which helped Concordia pull through the economic crisis of the 1930s.
Even after her retirement from teaching in 1963, Kruger’s influence was not over. It was common for her to keep in touch with the girls she called her “daughters” after they had graduated. They sought her advice and her friendship, and they knew she would always be willing to speak with them if they ever requested it.
Contributed by Allison Cassell, archives associate, Concordia College Archives