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, 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 Frahm, PhD
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
“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.”
Martin Springborg
Dean of Liberal Arts, Design, & STEM
Dakota County Technical College
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!”
“Women Telephone Operators in World War I France”
by Jill Frahm, PhDClick image to read full article.
Jill Frahm, PhD: Published Works
“Advance to the ‘Fighting Lines:’ The Changing Role of Women Telephone Operators in France during WWI”
Federal History Journal, 2016
“So Power Can be Brought into Play: SIGINT and the Pusan Perimeter”
The Center for Cryptologic History, 2000
“Taxing the Bachelors”
Society for Historians of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, 2021
Jill Frahm’s research was front and center in the Time Magazine article, “How the Identity of the Only Black Woman to Serve in the U.S. Army in World War I Was Just Discovered” written by Elizabeth Cobbs, a fellow Hello Girls historian, and published June 19, 2024, for the Juneteenth holiday.
Jill’s work on the Hello Girls was also mentioned in the National Geographic article, “The ‘Hello Girls’ helped win WWI—why was their service overlooked?” When American women were first deployed into combat zones, the U.S. refused to consider them veterans for more than 50 years.
More about Jill…
Jill Frahm, PhD
Originally from North Granville, New York, Jill Frahm graduated from Granville High School. Jill and her husband have two children. The family has one cat, a 10-year old Siberian named Emma, aka the fur tyrant who rules the Frahm household.
When she’s not teaching, Jill enjoys spending time with her family, reading history (of course), embroidering, doing puzzles, and hanging out with Emma.
Jill resides with her family in Shakopee, Minnesota.
Jill family and life gallery
Jill Frahm • Q & A
Jill Frahm, PhD
What inspired you to make history the polestar of your professional career?
My grandfather was a historian. History has always been part of my world and something that I have loved. Although I tried other careers, history proved the right one for me.
My grandfather’s stories of growing up in turn of the century Connecticut, being raised by a Civil War veteran, and fighting in World War I led me to focus on the years between the end of the Civil War and World War I.
What do you enjoy most about your work as a historian?
It’s like being a detective. You start with questions, and search for the answers.
Why is history one of the most important fields of study?
We need to understand where we have been if we want to be successful in the future.
Three words that describe you as a historian:
CURIOUS. PERSISTENT. IMAGINATIVE.
What do you like best about teaching college-level history courses?
The students!
What advice would you give students thinking about delving deeper into history as a field of study?
Read everything you can find about the topic you are interested in and volunteer! Historic sites, museums, and historical societies always need help, and you can learn a lot about the craft as you work there.
What is one keynote lesson you’ve learned during your career as a historian?
Never give up! History is a tough field these days because there are so few jobs. Many historians love their work so much they work long past the traditional retirement age. (My former boss in Maryland is in his 80s and still going strong!)
Further, many schools are paring back on history programs. However, there are still many places where historians work—government agencies, colleges and universities, museums, and historic sites, etc. I’ve worked in many different settings and each has its own challenges and rewards. There’s a place for you—you just need to find it.
Three words that describe you as a college educator:
DEDICATED. STUDENT-CENTERED. APPROACHABLE.
What person has influenced your life the most and why?
My parents who gave me the freedom to explore many paths in life and always believed in me.
If you could make one thing happen on Earth right now, what would it be?
People should start listening to each other and try to work together to solve problems peacefully.
One word that best describes your experience as a history instructor at DCTC:
CHALLENGING
Jill Frahm • 12 Answers
- Favorite sport or physical activity: Walking, particularly in the autumn
Place you would most like to visit: London- Most exciting thing you’ve ever done: Went up in a hot-air balloon
- Three things you would do if you won a $1 billion lottery: 1) Create scholarships for students with financial need 2) Fund a cat sanctuary 3) Support my favorite museum
- Favorite TV show you’re watching now: Great British Baking Show
- Time period you would explore if you could time travel: The historical period I study: 1877–1920
- One thing you most want to accomplish in life: Turning my dissertation into a book
Your national bird if you were your own country: Dark-eyed junco- Dream occupation: Being a historian!
- Person you would most like to meet: Any one of the Hello Girls
- Skill you would most like to learn and master: Ride an electric scooter? Bake a really good loaf of bread? Not sure.
- Most important issue or problem facing humankind: Global warming
Learn more about attending DCTC by contacting:
Admissions
admissions@dctc.edu
651-423-8266
Room 2-110
¹ “Contextualized learning (CTL) is a teaching method that helps students understand material by relating it to real-world situations. It’s based on the idea that learners understand information better when it’s presented in a familiar context. (SOURCE: AI Overview)
Grace Banker, front left, and some of her colleagues in the Signal Corp before receiving recognition for their work. U.S. Army, Malmstrom Air Force Base
