Sex Work in Frontier America
Press Release
Date: October 9, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: PC Theater
Speaker: Professor Hollie Marquess, Fort Hayes State University
Bio: Hollie Marquess is the Dr. Leo Oliva Distinguished Professor of History at Fort
Hays State University in Hays, KS, where she earned her B.A. and M.A. She is also
a current doctoral student in Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Gratz College. Her
research interests include women, gender, sexuality, and the Holocaust. Her previous
publications explore gender and sexuality in the American Midwest.
Title: Sex Work in Frontier America
Description: Women who engaged in sex work were often among the first arrivals to western frontier
towns and played an integral role in frontier life. The Wild West era is remembered
for general lawlessness, but sex work existed both within and outside of the legal
system. This presentation explores the lives and livelihoods of these frontier sex
workers.
