John Dugan, associate professor of art at Fairmont State University in West Virginia, was recently commissioned to paint a portrait of Margaret Elizabeth Dickey, a pioneering educator from Chester County, according to a report from The Fairmont News.

Dickey is believed to be the first state school female president to train teachers in the United States. She was named principal of Fairmont Normal, which later became Fairmont State University, in 1879. She remained at that position until 1884.

To create his artwork, Dugan began using Dickey’s black-and-white photograph from a yearbook.

The portrait was unveiled at the start of the spring semester and will be displayed on campus in the university’s Hall of Presidents.

FSU President Dr. Mirta Martin said it was her honor to finally bring Dickey “home.”

“She’s not only a vital part of our institutional heritage, but she’s also a trailblazing inspiration to the entire Fairmont State community,” said Martin.

A native of Chester County, Dickey graduated from the State Normal School in Millersville in 1866. She first taught in New London Township, before accepting a teaching job at Fairmont in 1870. She served as acting principal, or president, before receiving a permanent appointment to that position.

Read more about Margaret Elizabeth Dickey in The Fairmont News here.

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