June 22, 1938

Detroit News Quilt History Project; Michigan State University Museum; Susan Salser

Detroit, Michigan, United States

A New Women's Building Promised at Fair Grounds
By Florence Davies

A spacious and beautiful new building where the women of Michigan may practice the arts of peace 12 months a year was promised to the Women's Advisory Committee of the Michigan State Fair Association by Frank N. Isbey, manager of the fair, at a luncheon meeting held at Hotel Statler Tuesday.

The women's committee was called together by Miss Mary Humphrey, recently - appointed chief of the women's division of the fair, and included representatives of about 20 of the leading women's organizations of the state.

The building promised by Isbey, for which plans are drawn, is part of a building and expansion program which is under way at the Fair Grounds. When it is completed, it is expected to be the finest women's building at any state fair in the country and may be open all year to serve Michigan women and their interests, if they so desire, instead of being used only for the 15 days of the fair.

Both the art and women's divisions of the fair were dropped last year, due to lack of funds, Isbey explained.

This situation, he said is due to the fact the bill by which racing at the Fair Grounds was legalized put so much power in the hands of the racing commission that they have been able to usurp profits which should rightfully go to the State Fair Association. They occupy 100 of the 160 acres of the grounds, leaving only 60 for the fair, whereas California uses 420 acres and Illinois 390 acres.

The $600,000 which the racing commission was originally supposed to contribute to various agricultural interests in Michigan has dwindled to a fraction of that sum, and the State Fair Association receives only a modest rental. Isbey urged the co-operation of Michigan women in bringing pressure to bear on the racing commission to raise the daily fees from $2,500 to $5,000, which, he said would be in keeping with fees paid elsewhere in the country. While this would not put an end to all the abuses of the present practices, it would ease the financial situation to some degree.

Miss Humphrey, who introduced Isbey, told the committee members that under the present management the State Fair had paid expenses for the first time in 88 years.

With an entirely new program under way a new desire to make the fair of real service to women of Michigan, the earnest co-operation of the heads of various women's organizations in the state is being invited.

To this end, Miss Humphrey outlined a plan by which experts in the various fields of domestic art will have a hand in revising the list of premiums and awards.

Unimportant and antiquated classifications will be dropped so that the premium list may be shortened and larger premiums offered.

While a commodious building has been assigned to the women's division for this year, the plans undertaken represent only a beginning of the program of education and entertainment which the fair hopes to offer to home-makers and business women throughout the state. A program of entertainment so attractive that the attendance will jump from last year's 400,000 to almost double that number is promised by the fair management.

Courtesy of The Detroit News Archives.