I graduated from high school in 1976.  The that time period around the 200th anniversary of our nation brought about profound thought change of women in the workplace.

It was about that time, as you can see by the graphic below, that females caught and eventually passed males in college enrollment.  Up until that time young females were counseled to be nurses not doctors, legal secretaries not attorneys, and teachers — certainly not college presidents.  I mention that last occupation because during my tenure on the University of Minnesota Board of Regents I was part of the Board that hired the first female President in the university’s storied 168 year history.  (An interesting side note is that the University of Minnesota was founded in 1851 by immigrants to provide education for their children a full seven years before Minnesota was granted statehood).

Females have pass Males in college attendance and continue to widen the gap

Some different professions and the demographics of women that led and worked in them changed faster than others.  When I graduated from mortuary school in 1980 with about 40 fellow graduates I don’t believe we had any female graduates in the class.  Today, however, we hear that over 70% of mortuary students in training are female.

And, there is no doubt that women seem to be much more interested in “Business occupations” than ever before.  Part of my research for this article was to find the demographic make-up of the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Business — for decades the domain of enterprising male students.  Last year’s demographic profile indicated that today about 46% of the students enrolled there are female.  You can see the demographics here.

Tom Anderson
Funeral Director Daily

There is also no doubt that the consumer facing side of funeral service has changed to a profession where a grieving family is as likely to work with a female funeral director as they are a male funeral director.  But that is not all — females are now becoming the executive leaders of many Death Care operations.   Of what I believe are the four largest consumer funeral home and cemetery operators in the United States — Service Corporation International, Carriage Services, Everstory Partners, and Park Lawn Corporation — two of them are led by female Chief Executive Officers.  Everstory Partners is led by Lilly Donohue and Park Lawn Corporation is led by Jennifer Hays.

That brings me to the story of “Funeral Women Lead“.  An organization for the women in funeral service has been established and will, in my opinion, pave the way for more women to take leadership roles in the profession.  Funeral directing and the business of funeral homes was not so long ago the complete domain of males.  That is changing and it will be interesting to see how the increasing role of women in management in the profession might change some directions.

Funeral Women Lead has recruited some of the most prominent women in the profession to their management team and board.  This group makes me more excited than ever that funeral service has room for everybody and as a profession we will be better off for getting our leadership from a varied group of individuals.

To access the Funeral Women Lead website click here.

The paradigm shift to female funeral directors has happened right in front of my eyes.  The funeral home I used to own and manage has went from a 100% male licensed funeral director staff when I started to a licensed staff that is now 60% female.  Anecdotally, over my time as the owner of the funeral home I mentored three young people who wanted to, and eventually did, become licensed funeral directors —- all three were female.

More news from the world of Death Care:

• Mangano Family Funeral Home leads with care and innovation in Deer Park.  6 News on Your Side – Knoxville (TN)
• Humans can be composted too.  Philadelphia Inquirier (PA)

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