Mary “May” Preston Slosson was raised on a Kansas farm. She went on to college in Michigan. After finishing her bachelor’s degree, she attended Cornell University where she became the first woman to receive a doctoral degree in philosophy. In 1891 she married Edwin Slosson and together they moved to Laramie.
Edwin had been offered a job as a chemistry professor at the University of Wyoming. May organized a series of Sunday afternoon lectures for the prisoners at the Wyoming State Penitentiary. When the prison lost its chaplain, the inmates asked that May be named to replace him. She became the first female prison chaplain in the U.S.
At the Penitentiary, May organized chapel services with music and literature readings. She expanded the Sunday lectures and organized presentations on scientific and historical subjects. May advocated for treating convicts with courtesy and empathy.
See the Edwin E. Slosson papers at UW’s American Heritage Center to learn more.