Hi Jeanne, It was not only in Iowa but it also was true in Nebraska. My sister-in-law was a teacher in Fremont, Nebraska and they were not allowed to marry or would lose their jobs. The male teachers could get married as long as the wife was not a teacher. The reasoning was that the male teachers were the bread winners and if a woman teacher got married she was taking away a job from a male teacher. Some teachers did get married but could not live together as man and wife. Just dated but no marriage or so the school board thought. They better not get pregnant or that would bring dismissal, as well. That meant they had to go out of Nebraska to get married. Not sure where they went but it was not close where the School Board might get wind of it. This was well into the 1930s as I started going with her sister in 1933 and it was a rule then. Tom Powell In a message dated 3/6/2009 2:55:27 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, iowa-request@rootsweb.com writes: Does anyone know the reasoning behind preventing teachers from marrying? Was it just women? What about male teachers? Could they be married? This explains why my mother left her much loved teaching job when she married my dad in 1916. She taught briefly at a school called (I think) "Tom Benton School" which was probably in or near Mahaska County. It was a small (typical for the time) country school that she remembered and talked about all her life. She felt that teaching was her true calling in life, but was never able to return to it. I remember asking her why she quit teaching and she said, "I got married!" as if that explained it completely. I just assumed she chose to stay home and be a housewife. Jeanne **************A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy steps! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1219957551x1201325337/aol?redir=http:%2F%2Fwww.freecreditreport.com%2Fpm%2Fdefault.aspx%3Fsc%3D668072%26hmpgID %3D62%26bcd%3DfebemailfooterNO62)