The Evolution of Getting a Living in MiddletownMain MenuIntroductionMachine Made: The Rise of Industrial Work in MuncieRusty Muncie: Deindustrialization in MiddletownInvisible Experiences: Making a Living as a Minority in MuncieWomen's Work: 9 to 5 and BeyondWomen's Work Introduction
Muncie High School class group photo, circa 1926
1media/swift_530_medium_thumb.jpg2023-02-07T16:15:36+00:00Jim Connolly46c7b502c79bde22331f06c832c764e9eca6a07133Muncie High School students, group portrait, 1926.plain2023-02-07T16:17:01+00:00circa 1926W.A. Swift Photos, Ball State Digital Media RepositoryW.A. SwiftJim Connolly46c7b502c79bde22331f06c832c764e9eca6a071
Education enables workers to seek new job opportunities. It also influences the culture of the area, and the presence of Ball State University in Muncie has significantly influenced the city's path. As the city's industrial base declined, the university also became the largest local employer. The relationship between education and work has also changed. During the nineteenth century, few students completed high school and children of working-class families often dropped and began work before entering high school. Child labor and compulsory school laws led to more students completing high school and increasing numbers went to college.
