1945
In the late thirties and early forties, surveys were made of the Settlement School program managed by the Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for Women. The conclusions led to Sevier County assuming the cost and maintenance of basic education, and recommended the fraternity develop an Arts and Crafts program at the Settlement School. In 1945 the Settlement School Committee approached the University of Tennessee with a plan to bring college level craft instruction to Gatlinburg.
Headed by Miss Elsa Ulbricht, originator of the Milwaukee Handicraft Project, four craftsman conducted six weeks of instruction in the first Summer Craft Workshop, June 11 – July 18, 1945. The staff was jointly selected by Pi Beta Phi and the University of Tennessee. UT offered credit for courses in Weaving, Textile Design, Recreational Crafts, Woodworking, and Community Recreation. The workshops were open, however, to anyone who wanted to learn – not only those who wished to earn college credit.
The first year of craft workshops saw 50 students from 19 states attend. Meals were served in Pollard Cottage dining room. “The people were so enthusiastic that many returned to the laboratories to work in the evening after a full day of class sessions.” (A Century of Friendship in Pi Beta Phi: 1867 – 1967, 1968)
The Summer Craft Workshop was deemed a success, and was continued – for the next 75 years.
1945 Workshop Catalog
