DCTC News – History Faculty Spotlight: Jill Frahm, Ph.D.

Accomplished historian has published extraordinary research on the Hello Girls, the female telephone operators of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) in World War I

Jill Frahm, Ph.D.

Jill Frahm, PhD, teaches history courses in the General Education department at Dakota County Technical College (DCTC). Jill co-chairs the department and also serves as the college’s Rotaract Club faculty co-adviser. She began teaching at DCTC in 2012.

Jill holds a Ph.D. in History from the University of Minnesota. She earned her M.A. and B.A. in History from the University of Maryland. She also has a B.A. in Math from the University of Connecticut. Before coming to DCTC, she was employed as both a public and academic historian for several organizations, including the U.S. government.

Although, she is fascinated by history across the gamut of times and places, Jill has focused her research on unconventional women and men in the years between the Civil War and World War I. She has presented papers at many historical conferences, including the Cryptologic History Symposium, Berkshire Conference on the History of Women, Social Sciences History Association Annual Conference, and the Organization of American Historians Annual Conference.

When asked about her teaching philosophy, Jill said, “History belongs to everyone. It’s important to me to teach my subject in a way that each student can identify with the past and embrace some of it as their own. As well as learning about the past, they also need to think like historians and examine sources to make their own discoveries.”

Dean perspective: Martin Springborg

Martin Springborg Dean of Liberal Arts, Design, & STEM Dakota County Technical College

“Jill Frahm is an excellent instructor and her presence as a member of DCTC’s faculty is highly valued. She is one of many Liberal Arts faculty members who go above and beyond in their course design to meet the specific needs of DCTC’s technical programs.

“Jill has co-presented with other DCTC faculty on their approach to contextualized learning, which is unique amongst Minnesota State institutions.¹

“Liberal Arts and program faculty work together to help ensure the success of students enrolled in a wide variety of technical programs, from Auto Body Collision Technology to Veterinary Technician.”

Hello Girls

Hello Girls

One area of keen historical interest for Jill are the Hello Girls, the American telephone operators who served with the U.S. Army in France during World War I.

“Even though they were the first American women to serve in a combat role, upon to their return to the states, they were told they were merely civilian employees and not entitled to any veteran’s benefits,” Jill said. “It took them until 1977 to be declared veterans, long after most of them were dead—that’s nearly 60 years later!

Grace Banker, chief operator

Jill reported that the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission recommended to Congress in 2018 that the Hello Girls should be awarded a Congressional Gold Medal as a way to honor their service and make up for past wrongs. That recommendation was supported by the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Army Women’s Foundation, and the Military Women’s Memorial.

After failing in two Congresses, the legislation was introduced again in the 118th Congress in 2023. This time, the Commission team included descendants of the Hello Girls as well as historians, authors, and researchers in an effort to more strongly promote the cause.

“I was brought onto the project back in April 2024,” Jill reported. “While I can’t go to Washington, D.C., to knock on doors, I have been doing my small part by providing historical research to help support our case. In September the bill was UNANIMOUSLY passed by the U.S. Senate. We currently have two hundred and ninety cosponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives, which is enough to send the bill for a vote. We are hopeful that we can get the bill passed this session. As of October 30, we are up to 296 votes in the House. We need 290 to get the bill to the House floor—and we are six votes over!”

Read the entire article on the DCTC News website.
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