Margaret Cruikshank
Encyclopedia
Margaret Cruikshank is an American
lesbian feminist
and academic. Cruikshank began teaching in the 1970s and was one of the first American academics to be out
during a time when gay rights was just a fledgling idea. Her research and educational work focuses on awareness and acceptance of lesbian academia and the exclusion of lesbian literature
and criticism from traditional literature
studies and women's studies
. Her work has been published in Gay Community News
, Radical Teacher
, the Journal of Homosexuality
and The Advocate
.
, where she attended The College of St. Scholastica
, obtaining her Bachelor of Arts
in English
in 1962. In the early 1960s she came out as a lesbian within the Minneapolis lesbian-feminist community. She received her Ph.D in Victorian literature
from Loyola University
, writing her dissertation on Thomas B. Macaulay. Cruikshank taught English at Loyola, Central College and St. John's University. In 1975 she began teaching at Minnesota State University
, establishing the first women's studies department at the university, serving as director. Upon her arrival at MSU she was closeted publicly as queer, and by her leave in 1977, to move to San Francisco, she was open to her colleagues.
. In August 1980 she became head of a small program of the Continuing Education
department at the University of San Francisco
, only to be fired five months later. She then went on to teach at the English department at the City College of San Francisco
, teaching ESL
and working with CCSF faculty to incorporate queer studies into curriculum. Her successful efforts inspired CCSF to open their Castro/Valencia Campus, and in 1982 Cruikshank was the first woman to teach the college's lesbian and gay literature class, which she taught until 1996. During the 1980s she also served as an affiliate scholar at the Center for Research on Women at Stanford University
. From 1992-1997 she began teaching classes about women's gerontology
, a topic that she studied during a graduate internship at San Francisco State University
, where she received her Master of Arts
in the topic in 1992. She continued to teach at CCSF until her move to Maine
in 1997.
and is affiliated with the Center on Aging. In 1997 she donated a selection of her archives to the UCLA Library Special Collections. She is a recipient of a Fulbright Fellowship, which, in 2007, sent her to the University of Victoria
to lecture on women and aging at the university's Centre on Aging.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lesbian feminist
Lesbian feminism
Lesbian feminism is a cultural movement and critical perspective, most popular in the 1970s and early 1980s , that questions the position of lesbians and women in society. It particularly refutes heteronormativity, the assumption that everyone is "straight" and society should be structured to serve...
and academic. Cruikshank began teaching in the 1970s and was one of the first American academics to be out
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
during a time when gay rights was just a fledgling idea. Her research and educational work focuses on awareness and acceptance of lesbian academia and the exclusion of lesbian literature
Lesbian literature
This is a list of books portraying sexual relations between female characters, who may include lesbians, bisexuals and WSWs.-Classic fiction and drama:*The Bachelor Girl – Victor Margueritte –...
and criticism from traditional literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
studies and women's studies
Women's studies
Women's studies, also known as feminist studies, is an interdisciplinary academic field which explores politics, society and history from an intersectional, multicultural women's perspective...
. Her work has been published in Gay Community News
Gay Community News (Boston)
Gay Community News was a weekly journal published in Boston from 1973 to 1992 by the Bromfield Street Educational Foundation. It was an important resource for the LGBT community...
, Radical Teacher
Radical Teacher
Radical Teacher is a socialist, feminist, and anti-racist magazine dedicated to issues of education. It is published triannually by the Center for Critical Education, Inc., a nonprofit organization. It is edited by a collective of nearly 50 individuals....
, the Journal of Homosexuality
Journal of Homosexuality
The Journal of Homosexuality is a peer-reviewed academic journal This forum for research into same-sex desire examines sexual practices and gender roles in their cultural, historical, interpersonal, and modern social contexts. In the fall of 2005, the Journal celebrated its 50th volume.- History...
and The Advocate
The Advocate
The Advocate is an American LGBT-interest magazine, printed monthly and available by subscription. The Advocate brand also includes a web site. Both magazine and web site have an editorial focus on news, politics, opinion, and arts and entertainment of interest to LGBT people...
.
Early life and career
Margaret Cruikshank was born in Duluth, MinnesotaDuluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
, where she attended The College of St. Scholastica
The College of St. Scholastica
The College of Saint Scholastica is a private college with its main campus located in Duluth, Minnesota. The College was founded in 1912 by a group of pioneering Benedictine Sisters who offered college courses to six young women. Today St. Scholastica educates more than 4,000 students annually and...
, obtaining her Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
in 1962. In the early 1960s she came out as a lesbian within the Minneapolis lesbian-feminist community. She received her Ph.D in Victorian literature
Victorian literature
Victorian literature is the literature produced during the reign of Queen Victoria . It forms a link and transition between the writers of the romantic period and the very different literature of the 20th century....
from Loyola University
Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Chicago is a private Jesuit research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1870 under the title St...
, writing her dissertation on Thomas B. Macaulay. Cruikshank taught English at Loyola, Central College and St. John's University. In 1975 she began teaching at Minnesota State University
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Minnesota State University, Mankato is a public four-year university located in Mankato, Minnesota, a community of 53,000 located southwest of Minneapolis-St. Paul. As of Fall 2011, the student body is the third-largest in the state of Minnesota with over 15,000 students...
, establishing the first women's studies department at the university, serving as director. Upon her arrival at MSU she was closeted publicly as queer, and by her leave in 1977, to move to San Francisco, she was open to her colleagues.
Teaching career in San Francisco
Upon moving to San Francisco, Cruikshank worked as resource director for the short-lived Gay National Educational Switchboard; an organization that provided information through a toll-free telephone numberToll-free telephone number
A toll-free, Freecall, Freephone, 800, 0800 or 1-800 number is a special telephone number which is free to the calling party, and instead the telephone carrier charges the called party the cost of the call...
. In August 1980 she became head of a small program of the Continuing Education
Continuing education
Continuing education is an all-encompassing term within a broad spectrum of post-secondary learning activities and programs. The term is used mainly in the United States and Canada...
department at the University of San Francisco
University of San Francisco
The University of San Francisco , is a private, Jesuit/Catholic university located in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1855, USF was established as the first university in San Francisco. It is the second oldest institution for higher learning in California and the tenth-oldest university of...
, only to be fired five months later. She then went on to teach at the English department at the City College of San Francisco
City College of San Francisco
City College of San Francisco, or CCSF, is a two-year community college in San Francisco, California. The Ocean Avenue campus, in the Ingleside neighborhood, is the college's primary location...
, teaching ESL
ESL
ESL is a common abbreviation for English as a Second Language, see English language learning and teaching.ESL may also refer to:-Companies:...
and working with CCSF faculty to incorporate queer studies into curriculum. Her successful efforts inspired CCSF to open their Castro/Valencia Campus, and in 1982 Cruikshank was the first woman to teach the college's lesbian and gay literature class, which she taught until 1996. During the 1980s she also served as an affiliate scholar at the Center for Research on Women at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
. From 1992-1997 she began teaching classes about women's gerontology
Gerontology
Gerontology is the study of the social, psychological and biological aspects of aging...
, a topic that she studied during a graduate internship at San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University is a public university located in San Francisco, California. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers over 100 areas of study from nine academic colleges...
, where she received her Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in the topic in 1992. She continued to teach at CCSF until her move to Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
in 1997.
Current life
Cruikshank lives in a small fishing village on the eastern coast of Maine. She teaches women's studies at the University of MaineUniversity of Maine
The University of Maine is a public research university located in Orono, Maine, United States. The university was established in 1865 as a land grant college and is referred to as the flagship university of the University of Maine System...
and is affiliated with the Center on Aging. In 1997 she donated a selection of her archives to the UCLA Library Special Collections. She is a recipient of a Fulbright Fellowship, which, in 2007, sent her to the University of Victoria
University of Victoria
The University of Victoria, often referred to as UVic, is the second oldest public research university in British Columbia, Canada. It is a research intensive university located in Saanich and Oak Bay, about northeast of downtown Victoria. The University's annual enrollment is about 20,000 students...
to lecture on women and aging at the university's Centre on Aging.
Further reading
- Cruikshank, Margaret. The Gay and Lesbian Liberation Movement (Revolutionary Thought and Radical Movements). London: Routledge (1992). ISBN 0415906482
- Cruikshank, Margaret. Learning to Be Old: Gender, Culture and Aging. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers (2009). ISBN 0742565947
- Cruikshank, Margaret. Lesbian Path. Bolinas: Grey Fox Press (2001). ISBN 0912516968
- Cruikshank, Margaret. The New Lesbian Studies: Into the Twenty-First Century. New York: The Feminist Press at CUNY (1996). ISBN 1558611363
- Cruikshank, Margaret. Thomas Babington Macaulay. Boston: Twayne Pubs (1978). ISBN 0805766863