Lillian Chloupek became the first woman to serve as Manitowoc County superintendent of schools in 1920. She was re-elected to two more terms.

Amy Meyer
·3 min read

“It was in 1901 that the state Legislature passed a law authorizing the county superintendent, with the consent of the County Board of Supervisors, to name a deputy, provided that he had under his jurisdiction not less than one hundred schools," wrote Edward Ehlert in the Manitowoc County Historical Society’s monograph detailing the history of education in our area. "Although Manitowoc County qualified early for a deputy superintendent, it was not until 1915 that the first supervising teacher was named. Lillian Chloupek became the assistant of C.W. Meisnest.”

Chloupek was born in 1888 in Francis Creek, daughter of attorney Adolph S. and Anna Tesarik Chloupek. In 1896, the family moved to Mishicot. Well educated, Lillian decided to become a teacher and attended the Manitowoc County Teacher Training School. She graduated in 1906 and went on to teach in the county until 1912, when she left the area after the death of her sister.

When Chloupek was appointed the deputy superintendent (often titled as a supervising teacher) in 1915, little did she know her career in education was just beginning.

Lilian Chloupek, circa 1920
Lilian Chloupek, circa 1920

In 1920, County Superintendent J.W. Voboril resigned and Lillian was elected to finish his term, becoming the first woman to serve as the Manitowoc County superintendent of schools.

As Ehlert described, “to get from school to school, she hired livery men to take her around. She would leave the city on Sunday night and return on Friday afternoon. These were weeks of continuous visiting of schools and living in the country. Improved rural school teaching was soon quite apparent as a result of this effort at in-service training.”

In Chloupek’s first year as superintendent in 1920, Manitowoc County had 110 school districts and 142 teachers. The total enrollment of all schools, both public and private, was 4,161 students. Most schools had enrollments of 25 to 35 students, while two had more than 56 children in attendance. She was re-elected for another two terms as county superintendent.

In 1926, she resigned from her position upon marrying Mishicot native George Schmidt. She continued to be involved in county education. In February of 1936, Lillian was among five people to receive an honorary diploma from University of Wisconsin School of Agriculture.

Although Lillian left the formal education environment, she remained connected to her beloved field. She was a member of the county's first textbook committee. In 1945, she was elected to the Manitowoc County Normal School Board. And in 1947, she was made a member of the Manitowoc County school committee for district reorganization.

For many years, Lillian was also active in Farm Bureau affairs and held the chairmanship of the Manitowoc County Farm Bureau Associated Women.

Lillian died on Aug. 16, 1960. In the era of the passing of the 19th Amendment and a widespread rural school system, Lillian remained a leader in our early education systems.

Amy Meyer is executive director of the Manitowoc County Historical Society.

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This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Manitowoc County had its first woman superintendent of schools in 1920