Carroll Nutile Burke, Lloyd Ayer and Doris Townshend speak at Hamden Hall Country Day School on Wednesday.  Carroll and Lloyd are alumni from the Hamden Hall class of 1947.

Story from Hamden Hall Country Day School --

Connecticut’s first female state representative, a feisty powerhouse in her day, had a connection to Hamden Hall Country Day School that Lower School students learned about during a Women’s History Month assembly that celebrated several strong ladies in the school’s history.

Hannah Osgood Townshend was elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives in 1925 and was one of the five founders of the Connecticut League of Women Voters.  She was also the mother of Henry Townshend who attended Hamden Hall from 1927 to 1933 and later became a member of the school’s Board of Trustees when three of his children were enrolled at the school.

“Hannah Osgood Townshend, whose initials are H.O.T., was a whirlwind of activity and when she entered a room she dominated the scene,” said Doris Townshend of New Haven, daughter-in-law of Hannah and wife of Henry.

Doris Townshend was joined by Carroll Nutile Burke and Lloyd Ayer, both Hamden Hall alumni from the class of 1947, in speaking to fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders about special women and the impact they had in their communities.  Women’s History Month was designated in 1980 by President Jimmy Carter with annual themes that encourage institutions and organizations to honor women in their communities.  This year’s theme is “Our History is Our Strength.”

Ayer, of Hamden, read the first chapter of “Days Amanda Remembered,” a fictional book written by Marjorie Stewart, a former beloved English teacher at Hamden Hall from 1940 to 1967. The book, which is set during the American Revolution and offers a historical account of the period, was illustrated by Elizabeth Garvey, a 2010 Hamden Hall graduate.

Students were eager to answer questions about the powder referred to in “Days Amanda Remembered” and the muskets that had to be loaded with the black substance prior to use.

Burke, served as a role model during the 1940s when she opted for college versus the more traditional paths generally followed by girls after high school.  “Going off to college back then was unique for a female,” she told students.  “So I was a rather peculiar child at that time because most women chose between being a mother and housewife, a secretary, a teacher or a nurse.”

Burke instead attended the University of Connecticut, where she earned her Ph.D. and spent her career as a researcher and faculty member in the Department of Animal Diseases.