Hamlin Cogswell (1852–1922) founded the Music Supervisors National Conference in 1907. While a small number of women served as president of the Music Supervisors National Conference (and the following renamed versions of the organization over the next century) in the early 20th century, there were only two female presidents between 1952 and 1992, which "possibly reflects discrimination." After 1990, however, leadership roles for women in the organization opened up. From 1990 to 2010, there were five female presidents of this organization. Women music educators "outnumber men two-to-one" in teaching general music, choir, private lessons, and keyboard instruction. More men tend to be hired for band education, administration and jazz jobs, and more men work in colleges and universities. According to Dr. Sandra Wieland Howe, there is still a "
glass ceiling" for women in music education careers, as there is "stigma" associated with women in leadership positions and "men outnumber women as administrators."
Notable women presidents • Frances Clarke (1860–1958) was a music supervisor in the Milwaukee Public School system. She founded the Music Supervisors National Conference in 1907. It was an organization of American music educators dedicated to advancing and preserving music education as part of the core curriculum of schools in the
United States. In 2011, it was renamed the National Association for Music Education and it had more than 130,000 members. • Mabelle Glenn (1881–1969) was a music supervisor in Bloomington, Indiana and a director of music in Kansas City, Missouri. She wrote
music appreciation books and music textbooks. She was president of the Music Supervisors National Conference from 1928 to 1930. • Lilla Pitts (1884–1970) graduated from
Northwestern University. She was a faculty member of the teacher's college at
Florida State University. She served as president of the Music Educators National Conference (the new name for the Music Supervisors National Conference) from 1942 to 1944. • Marguerite Hood (1903–1992) graduated from the
University of Southern California. She was a supervisor of music for Montana, a faculty member at the
University of Montana, the
University of Southern California and the
University of Michigan. She was president of the Music Educators National Conference from 1950 to 1952. She was the first woman to be appointed as chair of the
Music Educators Journal. • Frances Andrews (1908–1976) received her master's and doctorate from
Pennsylvania State University, where she was a faculty member from 1943 to 1973. She was president of the Music Educators National Conference from 1970 to 1972. • Mary Hoffman (1926–1997) graduated with a bachelor's degree in science from
Lebanon Valley College and a master's from
Columbia Teachers College. She was a music supervisor in Milwaukee and Philadelphia. She gave graduate courses at Columbia Teachers College,
Temple University and the
University of Illinois. She wrote and contributed to textbooks. She was president of the Music Educators National Conference from 1980 to 1982. • Dorothy Straub (born 1941) graduated with bachelor's and master's degrees in music education from
Indiana University. She was the music coordinator for Fairfield Public Schools in Connecticut. She was a violinist in two orchestras. She was given awards from the
American String Teachers Association and the National School Orchestra Association. She was president of the Music Educators National Conference from 1992 to 1994. • Carolynn Lindeman (born 1940) graduated from
Oberlin College Conservatory of Music, the Mozarteum Academy,
San Francisco State University and
Stanford University, where she received her
Doctor of Musical Arts. She was a professor at San Francisco State University from 1973 to 2005. She was president of the Music Educators National Conference from 1996 to 1998. She edited the "Strategies for Teaching" series. She "[a]cknoledge[d] discrimination in academia." • June Hinckley (1943–2007) graduated with a PhD from
Florida State University. She was a music and fine arts supervisor in Brevard County in Florida. She wrote articles on music education. She was president of the Music Educators National Conference from 1998 to 2000. • Lynn Brinckmeyer received her PhD from the
University of Kansas. She was an associate professor and director of choral music education at
Texas State University. She was president of the Music Educators National Conference from 2006 to 2008. • Barbara Geer graduated from the
University of North Carolina. She was a music consultant for a school system in North Carolina. She was president of the Music Educators National Conference from 2008 to 2010. ==Lowell Mason Fellowship==