In 1956, on empty land behind the Botsford Tile business on West Stadium Boulevard, 27-year-old Don Botsford constructed Ann Arbor's first commercial fitness center. From the outside it wasn't much to look at, just a simple 33 x 66-foot concrete block building with a Unistrut ceiling. Don built much of the structure himself, on property owned by his father Tom Botsford. The building still stands today, as part of Top of the Lamp at 415 S Maple Road. The Botsfords were an old Ann Arbor family, dating back to the pioneering days of the city. Don had graduated from Ann Arbor High School in 1946, and then attended Central Michigan University where he majored in physical education and minored in health education. Don felt that his hometown of Ann Arbor needed to improve its approach to the health and well-being of its citizens, and decided to take matters into his own hands. After years of working at his father's tile shop, and saving money for his dream, Don was finally ready to welcome the public into his new facility. He called it Ann Arbor Gymkhana.

The Newly Constructed Ann Arbor Gymkhana's Exterior Gave No Hints Of What Was Inside, Ann Arbor News, November 1956

gymkhana, noun: a meet featuring sports contests or athletic skills

Ann Arbor Gymkhana appeared in the city long before local businesses offered HIIT workouts, boot camps, pilates, CrossFit, barre classes, and all the other endless exercise options you can think of. Fitness machines weren't readily available. 1950s workouts typically involved calisthenics, and basic equipment like dumbbells and barbells. Extra frills might include hula hoops and jump ropes. Don Botsford's new business offered Ann Arbor a new twist to physical fitness: trampolines. In an Ann Arbor News article, Don boldly claimed "I bet I can get kids on a trampoline faster than on a dance floor". He declared his new business "the only one of its kind in the country, with its safe floor level type of trampolines, and its combination of weightlifting and gymnastics apparatus".

Advertisement for Ann Arbor Gymkhana's Grand Opening, Ann Arbor News, November 30, 1956

Don Botsford Watches Children On The New Trampolines At Ann Arbor Gymkhana, Ann Arbor News, November 1956

Ann Arbor Gymkhana - Interior, Ann Arbor News, November 1956

Weights & Trampolines

Opening the first commercial fitness center in town had its drawbacks. One obstacle was the reputation of weight lifting. According to Don Botsford, University of Michigan football coach Fritz Crisler gave his players detentions if he found out they were lifting weights. "They thought it would cause their players to lose all their coordination and become big, dumb weight lifters." Trampolines were also a relatively new method of exercise for Ann Arbor. Botsford himself had benefited from a combination of weight training and trampoline skills, and worked hard to convince townies of the health benefits. Safety was an important factor in using all of the equipment, and instructional classes were emphasized. Don Botsford also encouraged women to visit Gymkhana, an innovative view at the time. His enthusiasm for living a healthy lifestyle, along with his charisma, drew people of all ages to the new business.

Athletically, Ann Arbor Gymkhana was a great success. During the first eight years of business, Botsford coached weightlifters and trampolinists to win more than 125 awards in each sport, including some national and state titles. Many were in the Michigan Association of Gymnastics (MAG). One notable group to frequent the facility, and accumulate awards, was the Huntzicker family.

Tom Huntzicker Practices His Competitive Routine At Ann Arbor Gymkhana, Ann Arbor News, April 1960, Photographer Doug Fulton

Susie Huntzicker Practices Her Competitive Routine At Ann Arbor Gymkhana, Ann Arbor News, April 1960, Photographer Doug Fulton

George Huntzicker Practices His Routine For Michigan's Amateur Athletic Union Championship, Ann Arbor News, April 1961 Photographer Duane Scheel

George Huntzicker, who frequented Ann Arbor Gymkhana as a child, would go on to lead Ann Arbor High School to a State Championship in 1965 by placing first in trampoline, floor exercise, and vault. He attended the University of Michigan, joined the gymnastics team, and was NCAA champion on the trampoline in 1968 and 1970. George also won the silver medal in the 1970 World Trampoline Championships. Newt Loken, who coached the University of Michigan's gymnastic teams from 1947 to 1983, says he believes George Huntzicker excelled and went on to win the world championship largely due to Don Botsford's coaching skills at Ann Arbor Gymkhana.

"George Huntzicker, UM Gymnastics, trampoline, 1967/68; BL015420." In the digital collection Bentley Historical Library: Bentley Image Bank. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/b/bhl/x-bl015420/bl015420. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections.

Tramp-O-Leap

In the summer of 1960, Ann Arbor Gymkhana experienced some competition in the nearby city of Ypsilanti. A franchise known as Tramp-O-Leap, which billed itself as an outdoor "trampoline playground", was spreading around the United States and Canada. Ypsilanti Tramp-O-Leap opened at 205 Ecorse Road in July. It offered 10 floor level trampolines available for 50 cents per half hour, from 10 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week. Not to be outdone, Gymkhana installed four outdoor trampolines, also available for 50 cents per half hour, one month later. Don Botsford called Gymkhana's outdoor experience "Uppen-Gebouncen Floppenfielt". Ypsilanti Tramp-O-Leap didn't last long, but helped to fuel the growing trampoline craze.

Ypsilanti Tramp-O-Leap - Gymkhana's Competition, Ann Arbor News, July 1960, Photographer Duane Scheel

Newly Installed Outdoor Trampolines At Gymkhana, Ann Arbor News, August 1960, Photographer Duane Scheel

Spaceball

Many local residents who remember Ann Arbor Gymkhana will tell you it was THE PLACE TO PLAY SPACEBALL. The game first surfaced at Huron Valley Swim Club in Ann Arbor. When the response was favorable, Don Botsford installed Spaceball trampolines in Ann Arbor Gymkhana.

To understand Spaceball, it's helpful to know a bit about the history of trampolines. A gymnast named George Nissen is credited with designing the first commercial trampoline in the 1940s. His "tumbling device" was granted a U.S. patent in 1945. In World War II, the military used trampolines as training devices for pilots who handled difficult air maneuvers in combat. Near the end of the war George Nissen met a pilot named Scott Carpenter who had gone through the trampoline training. Carpenter would later become one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts and introduced the trampoline into space training at NASA. Together, George Nissen and Scott Carpenter would eventually create a game for astronauts using specially modified trampolines. Carpenter called it "the best conditioning exercise for space travel." Naming the game "Spaceball" was an obvious choice. Combining elements of volleyball and basketball, bouncing players try to put a ball through a hole in a net. If your opponent fails to catch the ball, you get a point. Behind each player a special Spaceball trampoline tilts vertically on each end so in addition to bouncing on your feet, you are able to fall backwards and rebound just as easily. The game combines aerobic exercise and manual dexterity with balance and body control, offering a great workout.

One group of female gymnasts who trained at Ann Arbor Gymkhana became well known in the niche world of Spaceball competition. (See advertisement below.) In 1965, four of these gymnasts traveled to New York City for a Sports Illustrated photo shoot covering the sport. "Like astronauts in orbit, the aerial gymnasts on these pages counteract the force of gravity as they volley the ball in a fast-moving new game called Spaceball." The photos displayed the gymnasts, clad in bright red leotards, on Spaceball trampolines.

Ann Arbor Gymkhana Advertisement, Michigan Daily, September 30, 1962

Children Fill Ann Arbor Gymkhana. (Spaceball court on upper right of photo.) Ann Arbor News, December 1963, Photographer Doug Fulton

Don Botsford And His Son Play Spaceball At Ann Arbor Gymkhana. (Notice the NISSEN logo, as in George Nissen, on the equipment.) Ann Arbor News, February 1980, Photographer Robert Chase

The Fitness Business

Behind the athletic success and good vibes of Ann Arbor Gymkhana was the stark financial reality of running a business. Despite his hard work, and the enormous support he gave local athletes, Don Botsford rarely turned a profit. In a 2001 Ann Arbor Observer article, the grim details were shared. According to Botsford, he earned just $5,800 in his first year of business and "didn't make anything". His income in 1959 was $1,200. In 1960 it was only $268. In 1961 Ann Arbor Gymkhana finished in the red with a loss of $246. Don shared that the business had about 200 regulars in its heyday, during the 60s and 70s. Thousands came to take trampoline lessons, casually jump, or play Spaceball, but "the numbers never added up". Ann Arbor Gymkhana was often crowded in the winter, but summers were lean. As a married man with four children, he worked multiple jobs outside of the fitness center to make ends meet. Sign painter, bookstore clerk, and selling hot dogs at A&W were all on the list.

Despite the financial struggle, Don Botsford was committed to keeping Ann Arbor Gymkhana open. He wasn't in it for the money, he was simply passionate about fitness. In 1965, he added a sauna - the first public sauna in Ann Arbor - to the building. In 1967, Ann Arbor Gymkhana doubled in size and enlarged shower and locker rooms. In 1971 the interior balcony was extended to make room for selling health supplements.

Ann Arbor Gymkhana Advertisement, Huron Valley Ad-Visor, September 6, 1967

Other fitness centers were starting to appear in the area, which took customers away from Ann Arbor Gymkhana. In 1974 a million dollar Vic Tanny health club was opened in Ann Arbor. It featured cardio equipment, a swimming pool, Finnish saunas, whirlpool mineral baths, handball and paddleball courts, sun & steam rooms, special diet plans, and lots of instructors. Vic Tanny advertisements featuring women in bikinis were a level of business competition that Ann Arbor Gymkhana had never seen before. Don Botsford's facility still appealed to children, but many local adults left him behind for the flashier new businesses in town. He decided that his business must grow with the times, and began to design a new dream facility.

Don Botsford With A Model Of A New Gymkhana Facility, Ann Arbor News, April 1978, Photographer Larry E. Wright

Unfortunately, a new Ann Arbor Gymkhana never came to be. After numerous attempts to secure the funds needed to build a state of the art fitness center, Don Botsford finally closed his business in 1986. Ann Arbor Gymkhana was just shy of 30 years old. He went on to pursue other ventures, namely a nature preserve on the edge of the city, but nothing had the spark of the original Ann Arbor Gymkhana. But Botsford never gave up on his commitment to bring the public a form of fitness that was fun; is obituary, published in 2011, mentioned "He was still actively instructing trampoline and spaceball at the time of his death".

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Ann Arbor's Emma Bower was "known throughout the state as one of its most brilliant women." Doctor, Newspaper Editor and Publisher, Suffragette, School Board President, and Great Record Keeper for the Lady Maccabees of Michigan are only a select few of the many titles she earned. 

University of Michigan Homeopathic School ca. 1880/1914. Courtesy of the Bentley Historical Library.

Beginnings

Born in Ann Arbor on October 13, 1849, Emma graduated from Ann Arbor High School, then stayed in the city to attend the University of Michigan and its Homeopathic Medical School. After acquiring her M.D. in 1883, Emma moved to Detroit. She practiced in the office of Dr. Phil. Porter, but “ill health” in her family brought her home in 1886. Upon moving back, she found work as Assistant to the Chair of “Materia Medica” and Chair of Obstetrics and Diseases of Women and Children at the University of Michigan.

Henry, her father, was a dry goods merchant in Ann Arbor before succumbing to consumption in 1870. Her mother, Margaret Gertrude Chase Bower, maintained their home at 16 N Ingalls (later, 214 N Ingalls) alongside daughters Emma and Margaret Virigina Bower until her own death in 1906.

Editor Extraordinaire 

The newspaper business was a family affair for the Bowers. Younger brother Burroughs Frank Bower (known as Frank) co-founded The Democrat in 1878. Four years later he sold his stake in the paper to his brother, Henry, and joined The Detroit Journal. In 1890 Frank became business manager for the The Cleveland Evening World, and went on to purchase (or, re-purchase) that paper in 1897. Frank and Emma appeared to maintain a close relationship and their visits to one another were published in the papers throughout the years.

Advertisement for the Ann Arbor Democrat, 1895

Prior to his assumption of the editorship of The Democrat, older brother Henry E. H. had already been involved in journalism as the Ann Arbor correspondent for large dailies in Detroit and Chicago. He was ill for many months in 1888 and Emma managed the paper during this period before officially taking on the role after he died. 

Henry had a law degree from the University of Michigan and served on the Ann Arbor common council for a few years, but “his natural newspaper ability drew him into journalism.” One rival paper described him as “of a kindly, genial nature,” while The Courier expressed both respect and frankness in their obituary for him. “He was one who had his faults, but he also had his virtues. He was honest and upright in all his dealings with his fellow-men, and never forgot his manhood in that respect. At times brilliant as a journalist, he was at times erratic also…He was a strong friend to his friends and just as strong a hater to those he disliked.”

Headline from the Ann Arbor Register, May 31, 1894 regarding the Meeting of the Michigan Women's Press Association at Newberry Hall

When Emma took on the mantle of owner and editor of The Democrat she devoted herself to advancing her new profession. In doing so, she won the respect of her fellow editors, who seem to have never printed a negative word about her. In 1891 she was elected vice president of the newly formed Ann Arbor Press Club. She traveled to Bay View in 1892 to read a paper about “Women in Journalism” at a meeting of the Women’s Press Association. 

The Literary Century, a pamphlet published by the Michigan Women’s Press Association was distributed at the Women’s Building at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. It includes a description of Emma: 

“She does all the work of an editor-in-chief, collects and writes up all the news, solicits advertisements, personally attends to all the departments of the paper and never fails to send out an interesting well edited number every Friday in a year.”

“While sacrificing and considerate, she is thoroughly self-reliant and combines perseverance with that rare executive ability which is the true secret of all phases of business success. She conducts her paper as a business enterprise upon business principles, and while she is not enabled to enjoy the same amount of leisure and recreation, she has the satisfaction of knowing she earns as much money every year as any professor in the University of Michigan.”

Emma gave up the editorship around 1894 and promoted another female employee in her stead, Cora DePuy. Cora's tenure lasted less than a year. In May of 1895 Emma published an apology to anyone who was charged for an obituary. Cora, who was now a "late employee of the Democrat," appeared to have been making money through the service without Emma's "knowledge, sanction or advise."

A History of the Newspapers of Ann Arbor 1829-1920 opines that The Democrat “was no doubt at its best under the proprietorship of Emma Bower.”

Busy & Beloved

Emma was devoted to her community and involved in so many organizations that it’s a wonder she had enough time for it all. She contributed to groups focused around women’s equality, animal rights, temperance, education, entertainment, and fraternal organizations.

At various points she was:

Vice President of the Homeopathic Alumni of the University of Michigan (Elected 1884)
Contributed multiple recipes to a cookbook compiled by the Ladies’ Aid Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Ann Arbor (1887)
Vice President of the inaugural Ann Arbor Press Club (1891)
Member of the entertainment committee for a visit from the State Legislature (1893)
Vice President for the Ann Arbor Women’s Relief Corps (1893)
Associate Matron in the Eastern Star, the female branch of Masonry (1894)
Superintendent of the Fine Arts department for the County Fair (1894)
President of the Michigan Women’s Press Association (1896) & host of their 5th annual meeting at Newberry Hall (1894)
Member of the Ann Arbor Political Equality Club, for whom she served as a delegate for statewide suffrage meetings (1895)
Member of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, for whom she served as a delegate for statewide meetings (1895)
Lieutenant Commander, then Commander (1895) of the Ann Arbor Hive of the Ladies of the Maccabees 
One of the founding board members of the Humane Society (1896)
President of the Ann Arbor High School Alumni Reunion (1896)
Member of the Ann Arbor School Board, serving as Treasurer (1896) and President (1900)
Member of the Rebekah’s, the female branch of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (1897)
Participant, and often winner, of elocution contests (1897)
Registrar for the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (1898)
Treasurer and auditor for the National Council of Women of the United States (1915-1917)
Lifelong member of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church 
Great Record Keeper for the Ladies of the Maccabees of Michigan (1893-1926)

Portrait of Emma, 1893

Her consistent selection and election for leadership roles shows how clearly she was admired and trusted by her peers.

When running for the statewide position of Great Record Keeper for the Ladies of the Maccabees in 1893, The Courier, who had unfavorably described her brother, enthusiastically endorsed her. “She is a thorough business woman, and the order would be extremely fortunate in securing her services. There are no recommends that Miss Bower could not secure from the business or social people of Ann Arbor.” 

The Argus provided a similarly glowing approval, “Her business and editorial training peculiarly fit her for the duties of the office to which she aspires, while her many personal graces and social qualities will endear her to the members of the order with whom she is brought in contact.” 

A third paper, The Register, praised her win, writing, “The vote was practically unanimous for Miss Bower, a fact greatly to her credit.” 

Apart from her skill in writing and editing, Emma was a routine public speaker. In 1894 the Register wrote, “Miss Bower is a brilliant writer and is gaining a wide reputation as an able speaker. The lady is well educated, is a graduate of the U. of M., has her own ideas about things and can express them. Judging from the number of invitations she receives to make speeches, people like her ideas.” 

School Board & Suffrage

Emma’s lack of detractors is notable for a woman who bucked the status quo. She never married, was outspoken, and actively fought to advance women’s rights. The good she did for the community and her social standing may have helped shield her from slander, along with her talents for elocution.

In 1867 Michigan women who paid taxes were granted the right to vote for school trustees. In 1889 the Michigan legislature expanded the right for every person who was over 21 and paid school taxes to vote on all school related questions at their district’s meetings and any parent or legal guardian of school-aged children who were part of the local census could vote during school meetings on questions that did not involve raising money through taxes. Select Michigan women gained their first right to vote in these narrow ways. 

12 years later, and after multiple prior failed attempts, Michigan’s Governor Rich signed a bill granting women the right to vote in municipal elections on May 27, 1893. However, eligibility was limited to “women who are able to read the constitution of the State of Michigan, printed in the English language.” Women would be tested before the board of registrations, allowing the board to pass or disqualify women at will. 

Olivia and Israel Hall, ca. 1875-1889. Courtesy of the Bentley Historical Library.​​​

In September of 1893 “nearly one hundred ladies” exercised their right to vote in the school board election. “Considerable interest was manifested owing to the efforts of the woman’s suffragists,” but their efforts lacked coordination. Emma D. Perry was nominated, but withdrew. Perhaps because she didn’t want to interfere with her husband Walter S. Perry’s position as superintendent. Olivia B. Hall, whose husband Israel had previously served on the board, was then put forth and garnered 26 votes, nowhere near the turnout for the leading men, who gained closer to 400.

A month after this vote the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that the Legislature did not have the authority to create a new class of voter, rolling back women’s brief freedom. However, the state’s Attorney General issued a followup ruling to clarify that the women who had been voting in school meetings could continue to do so. 

It appears that it was under this directive, and with the strength in numbers seen the year prior, that the women and their allies came back to the school board election with improved strategy and organization in September 1894. Turnout skyrocketed from the usual few hundred to almost 1,000, the “reason for such a large vote is found in the fact that those 'pesky women' as a certain 'lord of creation' expressed it, wanted to run the earth.” The Register attributed the women’s success to their strategy of not showing their strength until it was too late for their competitors to rally. The women’s original slate had been Emma alongside Lelia Burt, whose husband Benjamin was a teacher, and Mrs. Amoretta Stevens. In the end Emma was the only victorious one of the three. 

Anna Botsford Bach. Courtesy of the Washtenaw County Historical Society.

The Courier offered further explanation for her win, attributing her ample support to her connections as a leader of the Maccabees. In addition, the women had targeted the easiest candidate to defeat: the sole Catholic member of the board. This loss resulted in, “a number of our citizens who feel that the result was unfortunate” because it meant a lack of Catholic representation. Even with this detraction, the paper makes clear they do not wish to diminish Emma's success, continuing, “Not that there is anything against the lady elected by any means, for there is not. She is an excellent business woman, and that she will make a model member of the Board, no one doubts for a moment.”

Emma was not the first woman on the school board, she was preceded by Mrs. Sarah H. Bishop. Nor did she serve as the first female president. That title belongs to Anna Botsford Bach, who joined Emma on the board in 1896 and became president a year later. Anna’s husband Philip, namesake of Bach Elementary, had previously served as President and was a 41-year member of the school board.  

What sets Emma’s success apart is her status as an unmarried woman. She had no children of her own that would have provided her with a deeper interest in the schools to campaign upon and no husband who was associated with the schools. 

Emma further underscored the political nature of her election by submitting her 1895 bond for Treasurer with only female signees: 

“Since Miss Bower’s bond was presented to the board, some doubt as to the legality of the document has been raised, it being alleged that a married woman cannot legally affix her name to the bond and be held responsible. The opinion of the board on the matter is unsettled. Ex-President Beal said this morning [t]hat he saw no reason why a woman, holding property in her own name, could not be held responsible. Still, he thought it a matter for the lawyers to decide.”

The “humor” of women bondholders is emphasized in a retelling of the events in the Ann Arbor Argus’ “Funny Things” column:

“Miss Emma Bower, of the Ann Arbor Democrat, recently elected treasurer of the school board, has filed a female bond of $40,000. Not a “horrid man” on the paper – all women, every mother’s son of them. But, gentle reader, don’t snicker just yet. Hereby hangs a tale. The bond has been declared invalid because some of the sureties are married and therefore said to be irresponsible. It is a large sized joke on the Benedicts of the Michigan Athens [husbands], that the women who married them are by that token held irresponsible. Discharge that snicker at this point. Meantime the bond has been accepted and there is a fine nest of hairpins.”

Some of the women signees even garnered derision from family members. Henrietta Penny had endorsed Emma’s bond, but her nephew’s objections were made public. 

Emma successfully became treasurer and she went on to serve as President in 1900. She used her position on the school board to try to advocate for women beyond just the upper class. During Emma’s tenure as treasurer, history teacher Eliza R. Sunderland approached the board because her salary had been reduced from $750 to $600. The board gave various reasons for the reduction, including “objection to paying so large a salary to a married woman.” Emma moved that the salary be put back at $750, but the motion ultimately lost. 

Repeated re-elections allowed Emma to maintain her position on the board until her eventual defeat in 1902.

The Mighty, Modern Maccabees

Advertisement in The Fraternal Monitor, 1922

One year prior to her election to the school board, Emma was victorious in an election that would shape the rest of her life. She secured “the honorable and lucrative position of great record keeper of the Lady Maccabees of Michigan” which included a salary of $1,200, an allowance of $850 to hire a clerk, and $500 for other expenses. “Great Record Keeper”--akin to “Secretary” in other organizations--made Emma responsible for recording the work of hives throughout Michigan and much of the organization's communications.

The Ladies of the Maccabees (LOTM) were an offshoot of the Knights of the Maccabees, a fraternal organization that originated in London, Ontario, but grew to real prominence in Michigan. Ann Arbor’s “hive,” as the ladies’ groups were known, was established in 1891 and Emma had the title of Lieutenant Commander by 1894.

A choreographed march to be followed by the hive, 1899

What exactly did the Ladies of the Maccabees do? Like every secret society seemed to, they had rigorous rituals that laid out the hive’s structure, titles, attire, oaths, and even marches. They defined themselves as “a vast sisterhood of women, bound together by the sacredness of our obligation, for mutual benefit, and the uplifting and upbuilding of our sex; for mental, moral and spiritual growth; and for a cultivation of the divine attributes of charity and love, which is the foundation of the happiness of the world.”

Ann Arbor Argus-Democrat, March 7, 1902

In practice, they operated similarly to insurance companies in an era when many insurers didn’t cover people of average resources. While the Maccabee’s enrollment was broader, it still was not completely inclusive. Members were required to be white, healthy, relatively young, and not involved in high-risk professions. The hives collected payments and doled out benefits to enrollees in need of help when death, illness, or injury occurred. Money management was crucial to the society, and the hives were audited routinely to ensure that they were fiscally sound. In 1901 alone Emma reported that the Ladies of the Maccabees of Michigan paid out over $250,000--equal to almost $10 million in 2024. 

The Maccabees made a point to hire women, employing female lawyers, book-keepers, writers, orators, and bankers. Emma herself used her roots in journalism to serve as editor for the monthly Lady Maccabee: Official Organ of the Great Hive for Michigan whose circulation reached 59,500 in 1901. 

The exclusion of men was seen as laughable to many. A common retort was that women couldn’t be part of a secret society because they are incapable of keeping a secret. Emma seems to have deftly used this ridicule to her advantage. On numerous occasions she gave a speech on the subject of whether women can keep a secret. She was praised for its wit and it presumably was a rebuff to these mocking remarks. In another speech she joked that LOTM had another meaning – leave out the men.

Portrait of Emma, 1923

Emma’s Ending
As the Ladies of the Maccabees grew, Emma wasn’t able to devote as much time to her other commitments. Eventually she left Ann Arbor in 1906, the same year that her mother died, to be closer to the state offices in Port Huron. She then moved on to Detroit in 1926 when the Ladies combined with the Knights to become "the Maccabees." Their headquarters were in the newly built Maccabees Building. Three years later, she retired. She retained the title Grand Lecturer for the Maccabees until 1934, when she suffered a stroke from which she never fully recovered. She returned to Ann Arbor to live again with her sister, Margaret, but Margaret preceded Emma in death by two years. Emma herself passed on October 11, 1937, two days shy of her 88th birthday. She is buried alongside much of her family at Forest Hills.

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in gilded wood frame. 23⁄8 × 17⁄8 in. (6 × 4.8 cm). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.

Virginia Gray Hendrickson was born in Chicago on October 9, 1904, the third daughter of Forman and Edith (Gray) Hendrickson. Her father died of cerebral malaria in 1910, and her family relocated to Ann Arbor, where she would spend the majority of her life. Virginia lived a life of privilege, with live-in servants and grand homes. Her father had been the president of his own Chicago business, the F. S. Hendrickson Lumber Company, and her mother was descended from Detroit's wealthy Fisher family. In her earliest Ann Arbor years, she lived in the home of her grandparents, Charles and Arabella (Fisher) Gray, who also owned a home in the Methodist summer community of Bay View on Lake Michigan. She attended schools in Ann Arbor, as well as the exclusive Highland Hall in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania.

In her youth, Virginia displayed a natural aptitude for art.  Ann Arbor High School’s 1921 yearbook includes several of her illustrations. From 1922 through 1924, Virginia attended the Art Institute of Chicago and studied the sixteenth century painter Hans Holbein the Younger (1497-1543). She found inspiration in his miniature portraits and devoted herself to perfecting the technique, studying with miniaturist Elsie Dodge Pattee.

On December 28, 1923, The Ann Arbor Times News announced her engagement to Charles E. Irvin of Jackson, Michigan. The Jackson Citizen Patriot announced it as well, with the headline "Pretty Art Student Will Be Bride of Jackson Man". On August 16, 1924 Virginia & Charles were married at the Hendrickson family's summer home in Bay View. The service was conducted by Virginia's uncle, Dr. Arthur W. Stalker.

Virginia Hendrickson's Engagement Announcement in The Jackson Citizen Patriot, January 13, 1924

Charles E. Irvin, 1922, University of Michigan Yearbook
 

Virginia & Charles started their married life together in Chicago, where Charles worked as an economist, but soon found their way back to Ann Arbor. While he worked in business and real estate, Virginia continued to paint. She received steady commissions and exhibited her work all across the country and many European capitals. On January 6, 1933 Charles E. Irvin Jr., their only child, was born.

Irvin, Virginia Hendrickson. Charles E. Irvin Jr. ca. 1935. Watercolor on ivory in gold filigree case with brooch pin. Diam. 3⁄4 in. (1.9 cm). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.

Virginia Hendrickson Irvin became a well-known name in the niche world of American portrait miniatures. Her finished pieces usually ranged in size from one inch in diameter to five by six inches. Her calling cards were engraved with "The miniature is to painting what the sonnet is to poetry: prescribed and limited, but the jewel in portraiture." Meticulous details were featured in all of her work, with all of the qualities of full-sized portraits condensed with intricate detail, some to the size of a pinhead.

Her technique involved polishing thin pieces of ivory with pumice powder so they would hold watercolor on their surface. Sketching the tiny portrait directly onto the ivory, in blue cobalt, was the next step. Using a magnifying glass, she would then paint on dabs of watercolor with small sable brushes. For the tiniest detailed work, her brushes could be as thin as an eyelash or two. Completing one of her miniature portraits usually took her about two to three weeks, with the eyes alone sometimes requiring an entire day's work. She liked to use photographs as reference material and painted many portraits of her close friends and family. Virginia chose to paint only during the day, feeling that artificial light was not conducive to distinguishing between subtle shades of color.

The work of Virginia Hendrickson Irvin was exhibited in many well known settings including The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Royal Society of Miniature Painters, Sculptors & Gravers, in London. She won countless awards and accolades for her paintings, including a 1954 Medal of Honor from the National Association of Women Artists. Her work may be found in the permanent collection of numerous museums. In 1943 Virginia was unanimously elected to membership in the Pennsylvania Society of Miniature Painters, becoming the sixty-ninth member of the Society, which was founded in 1901. In 1944, Virginia participated in the forty-fifth annual of the American Society of Miniature Painters at New York's Grand Central Galleries. She was awarded their highest honor, the Levantia White Boardman Memorial Medal for a portrait of her mother, Edith Gray Hendrickson.

Irvin, Virginia Hendrickson. Mrs. Forman S. Hendrickson. ca. 1944. Watercolor on ivory in ebonized and gold-painted wood frame. 3 5⁄8 × 4 3⁄8 in. (9.2 × 11.1 cm). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.

Charles Irvin died in August 1956, leaving Virginia a widow. He was buried in Ann Arbor's St. Thomas Catholic Cemetery. At the time of his death he was a professor of real estate in the University of Michigan's School of Business Administration. The Irvin family lived in the Anberay apartments at 619 E. University. Charles Jr. still lived with them, and was a student at the University of Michigan law school. Virginia continued her career as an artist, while also working as a clerk at Ulrich's Bookstore, just a short walk from home. In 1958, Virginia won the National Association of Women Artists prize for her miniature painting "Reflection".

Virginia Irvin holds her painting 'Reflection', Ann Arbor News, January 17, 1962
 

Irvin, Virginia Hendrickson. Reflection. ca. 1958. Watercolor on ivory in gilded carved wood and plaster frame. 3 3⁄8 × 4 1⁄8 in. (8.6 × 10.5 cm). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.

1967 was a notable year in Virginia's life as her only son, Charles Edgar Irvin Jr., was ordained as a catholic priest. She commemorated the occasion with a miniature portrait of him in his black clergy shirt and white collar. Father Charlie, as he was known, would go on to spend 54 years in the priesthood in and around Ann Arbor.

Fr. Charlie Irvin, Ann Arbor News, November 1988

Irvin, Virginia Hendrickson. Rev. Charles E. Irvin. ca. 1967. Watercolor on ivory in gilded wood frame. Diam. 3 in. (7.6 cm). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.

In 1970 the Ann Arbor News ran an article titled "Mrs. Irvin's Painting Trade One Of Few In Country". At the age of 65 she was still receiving commissions for her paintings and living alone at her 619 E. University apartment. In 1980 she was included in the book "Women Artists in America: Eighteenth Century to the Present (1790-1980)". Virginia Hendrickson Irvin lived independently in her apartment until her mid-80s. She died on her son's birthday, January 6, 1992 at the Gilbert Residence nursing home in Ypsilanti at the age of 87. She was buried in Ann Arbor's St. Thomas Catholic Cemetery, next to her husband Charles. Her son was one of the many priests who celebrated her funeral mass. In 1998, Charles E. Irvin Jr., aka Father Charlie, donated his mother's remaining paintings to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, along with a collection of biographical materials and newspaper clippings. He died in 2021 and joined his parents in St. Thomas Cemetery.

Virginia Paints With A Magnifying Glass, Ann Arbor News, June 1970

Virginia Paints With A Magnifying Glass, Ann Arbor News, June 1970

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