Alice Crocker Lloyd

Alice Crocker Lloyd (December 9, 1893 – March 3, 1950) was the University of Michigan's longest serving Dean of Women, and is widely regarded as a trailblazer in progressive educational programs and for the ideals of young women at the time. Lloyd worked during a period of expanding opportunities for women at the University of Michigan, as the institution developed new residence halls, advising systems, and academic programs to support its growing female student population.

Early life and education Lloyd was born on December 9, 1893, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She was the first child of Alfred H. Lloyd and Margaret Crocker Lloyd. Her father was the former dean of the University of Michigan's graduate school, a former professor of philosophy, and also served as acting president of the University in 1925. She grew up on the outskirts of Ann Arbor and attended the now-defunct Ann Arbor High and later Milton Academy in Milton, MA. She had a sister, Anna, and two brothers Frederick and Putnam. Frederick T. Lloyd fought in World War I and suffered from PTSD after his return home. He spent the rest of his life in a Battle Creek veteran's hospital. Putnam became a doctor and moved to New York. Lloyd is a descendant through her mother's side of John Putnam, a prominent early settler in Salem, MA.

During the summer, the Lloyds would go to Piseco, New York in the Adirondacks where the family enjoyed outdoor activities. As a student, she was described as being serious and successful, although she enjoyed collecting poems. She subsequently worked as a probation officer with juvenile delinquent girls in Wayne County, Detroit. She was offered a position in 1926 as an Adviser of Women's Studies at the University of Michigan, which led to her becoming Dean of Women in 1930.

Dean of women Lloyd oversaw the construction of two women's residence halls: Stockwell and Mosher – Jordan. She also was beneficial in the planning of the dormitory that would eventually bear her name. Supportive programs for the female students were also important to her. The Women's Athletic Building was one of several programs that advanced the quality of life for these undergraduate women due to her efforts. Her role as Dean of Women included oversight of housing, student advising, discipline, and co-curricular programming, responsibilities that defined the position at many coeducational universities during this period. She was committed to the Michigan League, which was newly completed when she began her term as Dean. It went on to become a headquarters for activities of women students as well as for alumnae.

This was a pivotal time for women in higher education, particularly at Michigan. Lloyd dealt with changes in social attitudes and requirements, such as women's hours and overcrowding in housing. She wrote editorials in the Daily, attempting to bridge the gap between faculty and students. This was frequently a sore spot due to the shifting position of the idea of in loco parentis, which was causing an irritation amongst the student body especially in regard to the strict curfew hours women students were living under. Additionally, the lack of student housing for growing numbers of women students was becoming a larger problem each year. Lloyd’s administrative approach reflected a broader shift in women’s leadership roles in higher education, as deans of women increasingly developed professionalized responsibilities related to student welfare, academic support, and campus governance. Women students in early coeducational institutions often relied on administrators such as Lloyd for academic guidance, welfare advocacy, and personal support, due to university structures that were originally designed around the needs of male students.

Lloyd was not a champion for Greek Life sororities, which had become popular at the time she became Dean. She believed the university had become a place where social life mattered more than the academics. During this time, it was beginning to be felt that the experience outside of the classroom was just as important as the academics. Despite her attitude that school should be a place for learning, away from social distractions, Lloyd still maintained an idealistic view on the world and education. In a speech given to the National Association of Deans of Women from January, 1944 she stated, "Education must be inspired by courageous and spiritual leadership and must touch the hearts of people as well as train their minds." In another speech given at the American Legion Auxiliary Services on August 16, 1945, she said, "It is through generosity and compassion and honesty and love that we will build a new world.".

Lloyd was often at odds with an administration that she felt was still stuck in the past and grappled with the need for more authority in her position as Dean of Women. In a letter to Provost James P. Adams on October 20, 1945, she expressed her displeasure with the "relationship" between the Dean of Women and the women's residence halls stating:

and

"To stress their value as house-clubs is to bring them into direct competition with the dormitories which in many instances now offer better living conditions. To emphasize the social life they offer is to bring very forcibly to light the fact that the social situation has changed from the earlier intimate group life within the sorority house to the present-day social activities outside the house. Both these factors have weakened their position. What will strengthen it?" She was survived by her mother, sister and two brothers. Alice Lloyd Hall at the University of Michigan was named in recognition of her contributions to women’s student life, and the hall’s emphasis on community and academic engagement reflects values associated with her leadership. The university’s “Living in History” project highlights Lloyd’s influence on the development of women’s educational opportunities and documents her commemoration through campus buildings.

Mary T. Bromage spent significant time on a biography of Lloyd to be included in A Biographical Dictionary.