Marjorie Engelman | Wisconsin Historical Society
When Marge Engelman was in third grade, her teacher told her she had no artistic ability because she couldn’t color inside the lines. Despite this criticism, Engelman went on to earn a master’s degree in art and became a celebrated storyteller and artist who inspired generations of women.Born in 1927, Engelman grew up on a farm in central Illinois. Her father wanted her to stay in the area and start a family, but Engelman had other plans. Inspired by a high school principal that saw promise in her academic career, Engelman became the only woman in her high school class to attend college, receiving a scholarship from Illinois Wesleyan University. She graduated with a degree in sociology and later earned a master’s degree from Northwestern University.After college, Engelman moved to Appleton, Wisconsin, with her husband who was a Methodist minister. As was common for ministers, the couple moved every few years, including stops in Whitewater, Green Bay, and Madison. While in Whitewater, an impromptu drawing class ignited a newfound creative spirit within her.The Engelmans settled in Green Bay and Engelman began her career with the University of Wisconsin System in 1965. Engelman taught courses at the University of Wisconsin-Fox Valley Center and University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
