By Kira Zahedi, Bicentennial Intern, Class of 2018, History
Edited by Bre Anne Briskey, Bicentennial Graduate Assistant
All I had wanted was to be a good scholar—to have people say they were going to IPI to take my classes. To give it up, which in essence I am doing, was a very difficult decision. But I felt that wrongs existed and they had to be corrected. –Frances Rhome[1]
When Frances Dodson Rhome came to IUPUI as an assistant professor of English, she did not expect to become the affirmative action officer for the campus. However, due to her dedication that campus affirmative action efforts were successful, she improved the IUPUI community as a whole.
Early Life and Education
Rhome was born on April 16, 1916 in Tucumcari, NM.[2] She attended the University of California-Lost Angeles where she earned her bachelor’s degree before she went to New Mexico State University and earned her master’s degree.[3]
After Rhome married, she taught in a high school in 1958 to provide for her family.[4] Rhome first came to Indiana University in 1965 as a counselor in administration at IU Bloomington.[5] She later went on to earn her Ph.D. from IU in 1969. After graduating, Rhome received a job offer to teach English at IUPUI.[6]
Career at IUPUI
While Rhome came to IUPUI, she actively participated in the Women’s Studies program and encouraged the university to expand and broaden its perspectives and ideas.[7] She worked to better the IUPUI community and helped to set up the IUPUI Humanities Council.[8] In 1972, Rhome chaired the “Women, Higher Education and the Law,” conference which provided administrators of higher education information on the women’s movement and inequalities that women faced.[9]
In 1973, after IUPUI Chancellor Maynard Hine announced the creation of an affirmative action office on campus to ensure the university’s compliance with national and state civil rights and affirmative action laws, Rhome was appointed as IUPUI’s first Affirmative Action Officer.[10]
In this role, Rhome led the affirmative action office in the university’s efforts to be more inclusive in its hiring practices and its employee policies. The office ensured that the university worked to be an equal opportunity employer and tried to find diverse applicant pools for every open faculty and staff position.[11]
Rhome also believed that the practice of promoting women and minorities to positions of authority, such as department heads or dean positions, was just as important as hiring such individuals to entry or lower level positions.
The office also created a more formal complaint appeal procedure for workplace disputes and tried to address the wage gap for university employees by examining the differences in salaries by gender.[12] Rhome’s office found that women earned around $6000 less than their male colleagues per year; to remedy this, Rhome created a five-year plan.[13]
Rhome took her new position seriously. While still teaching in the English department and completing her responsibilities as affirmative action officer, she also briefly pursued a law degree to supplement her work in in the affirmative action office.[14] While some criticized her office for eating up university funds, Rhome saw value in exclusivity.
“I know there are some persons who disagree with some of the procedures required for affirmative action. But most seem to think the work this office is doing is important- it is humanitarian. I see it as reaching out.”[15]
In 1975, Rhome was selected to be an affirmative action officer for the entire IU system.[16] IU President John Ryan recommended her for the role and she served as his main advisor for affirmative action programs. In this role, she ensured that all of the IU campuses administered and carried out affirmative action policies and procedures.[17]
Contributions
Throughout her time at IUPUI, Rhome frequently gave back to her community. She joined several committees at IUPUI, including the IUPUI commission on the status of women.[18]
Rhome held vital positions in her Indianapolis community. She was a member of the Greater Indianapolis Women’s Political Caucus board.[19] Indianapolis mayor Richard G. Lugar appointed Rhome as the vice-chairman of the Task Force on Women.[20] She also served as the chairman for the Indiana Women’s Political Caucus.[21] On the national level, Rhome associated herself with the National Mid-Life and Older Women’s Force, serving as its chair during the 1980s.[22]
Legacy
Rhome served IU for 17 years, before she retired as professor emeritus of English in 1986.[23] During her retirement, Rhome continued to teach several credit and noncredit courses at IUPUI and remained active in her community.[24]
In honor of her work at IUPUI, the IUPUI School of Liberal Arts created the Frances Dodson Rhome Scholarship for students who demonstrate their interest in English literature or women’s studies.[25] Additionally, the IUPUI Women’s Studies luncheon, “Women’s Own Stories,” honored Rhome for her work and dedication in October 1996.[26]
Rhome died on March 16, 2008 in Springfield, VA.[27]
Bibliography
- Bell, Robert N. “Mrs. Butters to Head Mayor’s Task Force,” The Indianapolis Star, 10 August 1972, pg. 1,
- Butters, Mary Anne. “Demo Convention Draws Women,” The Indianapolis Star, 21 June 1972, pg. 8,
- “Frances Rhome,” IUPUI Office for Women,
- “France Dodson Rhome Scholarship,” IUPUI School of Liberal Arts,
- “Frances D. Rhome Obituary,” The Indianapolis Star, 23 March 2008.
- IU Trustee Minutes, Indiana University Archives, Bloomington.
- McKee, Susan. “Women, Education, Discussed,” The Indianapolis Star, 20 October 1972, pg. 10.
- Kreuscher, Jan. (1975, November 14). More Than Culture Borne. The Indianapolis News, pg. 1.
- Lamm, Jean. “Still Seeking Equality for All,” The Indianapolis Star, 27 September 1972, pg, 8.
- Lamm, Jean. “‘Terribly Busy Job’ IPI’s Dr. Frances Rhome Fights Discrimination At University,” The Indianapolis Star, 08 July 1973, Section 6, pg. 5, URL: https://www.newspapers.com/image/105803595.
- Mullinix, Donna S. “In Her 60s, site change renewed her,” The Indianapolis News, 18 October 1995, pg. E-8.
- Rhome, Frances Dodson. (1973, August 27). Correspondence from Frances Dodson Rhome to Maynard K. Hine. (UA041, Box 1). Ruth Lilly Special Collections and Archives, Indianapolis, Indiana.
- “Rhome to get honor,” The Indianapolis Star, 22 September 1996, pg J3.
- Seybert, Diane. (1989, January). “Dr. Frances Rhome: it’s never too late.” Arts Indiana, p. 24.
- Siddons, Patrick. “Frances Rhome named the first affirmative action officer at IU,” The Courier-Journal, 10 May 1975, pg. 3
- “Women in Education is Topic of Indy Conference,” The Star Press, 17 October 1972, pg.6
Notes
[1] Jean Lamm, “‘Terribly Busy Job’ IPI’s Dr. Frances Rhome Fights Discrimination At University,” The Indianapolis Star, 08 July 1973, Section 6, pg. 5, URL: https://www.newspapers.com/image/105803595.
[2] “Frances D. Rhome Obituary,” The Indianapolis Star, 23 March 2008, URL: https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/indystar/obituary.aspx?n=frances-d-rhome&pid=144836533.
[3] Patrick Siddons, “Frances Rhome named the first affirmative action officer at IU,” The Courier-Journal, 10 May 1975, pg. 3. URL: https://www.newspapers.com/image/110625240/?terms=%22frances%20rhome%22%20%22affirmative%22&match=1.
[4] Seybert, Diane. (1989, January). Dr. Frances Rhome: it’s never too late. Arts Indiana, p. 24.
[5] Patrick Siddons, “Frances Rhome named the first affirmative action officer at IU,” The Courier-Journal, 10 May 1975, pg. 3. URL: https://www.newspapers.com/image/110625240/?terms=%22frances%20rhome%22%20%22affirmative%22&match=1.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Ibid.
[8] Donna S. Mullinix, “In Her 60s, site change renewed her,” The Indianapolis News, 18 October 1995, pg. E-8, URL: https://www.newspapers.com/image/313318387.
[9] Susan McKee, “Women, Education, Discussed,” The Indianapolis Star, 20 October 1972, pg. 10, URL: https://www.newspapers.com/image/105757168/?terms=%22frances%20rhome%22&match=1.
[10] Jean Lamm, “‘Terribly Busy Job’ IPI’s Dr. Frances Rhome Fights Discrimination At University,” The Indianapolis Star, 08 July 1973, Section 6, pg. 1, URL: https://www.newspapers.com/image/105803595.
[11] Ibid.
[12] Rhome, Frances Dodson. (1973, August 27). Correspondence from Frances Dodson Rhome to Maynard K. Hine. (UA041, Box 1). Ruth Lilly Special Collections and Archives, Indianapolis, Indiana.
[13] “Frances Rhome,” IUPUI Office for Women, URL: https://ofw.iupui.edu/page(8ca1fc6b-2cab-4504-be06-8938310f2b1d).
[14] Kreuscher, Jan. (1975, November 14). More Than Culture Borne. The Indianapolis News, pg. 1.
[15] Lamm, IPI
[16] Seybert, Dr. Frances
[17] Patrick Siddons, “Frances Rhome named the first affirmative action officer at IU,” The Courier-Journal, 10 May 1975, pg. 3. URL: https://www.newspapers.com/image/110625240/?terms=%22frances%20rhome%22%20%22affirmative%22&match=1.
[18] “Women in Education is Topic of Indy Conference,” The Star Press, 17 October 1972, pg.6, URL: https://www.newspapers.com/image/252068178/?terms=%22frances%20rhome%22&match=1.
[19] Jean Lamm, “Still Seeking Equality for All,” The Indianapolis Star, 27 September 1972, pg, 8, URL: https://www.newspapers.com/image/105757098/?terms=%22frances%20rhome%22&match=1.
[20] Robert N. Bell, “Mrs. Butters to Head Mayor’s Task Force,” The Indianapolis Star, 10 August 1972, pg. 1, URL: https://www.newspapers.com/image/105783747/?terms=%22frances%20rhome%22&match=1.
[21] Mary Anne Butters, “Demo Convention Draws Women,” The Indianapolis Star, 21 June 1972, pg. 8, URL: https://www.newspapers.com/image/105800541/?terms=%22frances%20rhome%22&match=1.
[22] “Frances Rhome,” IUPUI Office for Women, URL: https://ofw.iupui.edu/page(8ca1fc6b-2cab-4504-be06-8938310f2b1d).
[23] IU Trustee Minutes, 008 March 1986, Indiana University Archives, Bloomington, URL: http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/iubot/view?docId=1986-03-08.xml&chunk.id=d1e1617&toc.depth=1&toc.id=d1e1617&brand=iubot&text1=Frances%20Rhome&op1=and&op2=and&field1=text&field2=text&field3=text&startDoc=1#.
[24] Donna S. Mullinix, “In Her 60s, site change renewed her,” The Indianapolis News, 18 October 1995, pg. E-8,” URL: https://www.newspapers.com/image/313318387.
[25] “France Dodson Rhome Scholarship,” IUPUI School of Liberal Arts, URL: https://liberalarts.iupui.edu/admissions/scholarships/Frances-Dodson-Rhome-Scholarship.html.
[26] “Rhome to get honor,” The Indianapolis Star, 22 September 1996, pg. J3. URL: https://www.newspapers.com/image/106418531/?terms=%22frances%20rhome%22&match=1.
[27] “Frances D. Rhome Obituary,” The Indianapolis Star, 23 March 2008, URL: https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/indystar/obituary.aspx?n=frances-d-rhome&pid=144836533.