Eulalia Bourne

Eulalia "Sister" Bourne (Dec 23, 1892 – May 1, 1984) was a pioneer Arizona schoolteacher, rancher and writer. She taught at rural Arizona schools from 1914 to 1957.

Biography Eulalia Collins was born on a homestead in West Texas,

Bourne claimed that she had married Ernest John Dougherty, who died in 1919, though his death certificate lists him as single. In 1941, the paper won a "Blue Ribbon" award from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association.

In 1951, Bourne moved to GF Bar Ranch on Copper Creek, east of Mammoth. In 1957, she retired from teaching. She went on to write three books. "Sister Bourne was a complicated personality. She subscribed to The New Yorker magazine and was a member of the Arizona Cattlemen’s Association. She was a rancher who hated rodeos because she saw them as animal cruelty. She wouldn’t divulge her age or details of her private life, but freely offered her often unpopular opinions on the social and political questions of the day. She wore red lipstick and faded Levi’s. She was ahead of her time with her views on bilingualism in the classroom. She had many supporters, but some considered her a pain in the neck. From all reports, her students loved her and probably her cows did too. (She gave them all names: Vanilla Ice Cream, Dirty Face, Milagro, Old Rattlesnake.)"—Joan Sandin.

Teaching philosophy Bourne had some radical ideas for the time. Teachers were expected to work to assimilate Mexican-American students and track them for manual labor careers. However, Bourne rejected this idea, as can be seen through her creation of The Little Cowpuncher and her interviews and literature. Bourne also rejected the idea of only speaking English in the classroom, which was the state law at the time. In the late 1930's, she even produced a Spanish-language Christmas play. 1974: Norman Cousins Award from Society of Southwestern Writers 1975: Distinguished Citizen Award from the University of Arizona Alumni Association 1987: Arizona Women's Hall of Fame

Books by Eulalia Bourne Woman in Levi's, University of Arizona Press, 1967. Online Version Nine Months Is a Year: Teaching at Baboquivari School. University of Arizona Press, 1969. Online Version Ranch Schoolteacher, University of Arizona Press, 1974. The Blue Colt, Flagstaff, Northland Press, 1979.