Despite a reputation for a brusque personality, Emily F. Webster was extremely popular with Oshkosh students and was often quoted and portrayed in the humor section of the Quiver. Webster was a member of Oshkosh Normal's first graduating class in 1875. Having secured a permanent teaching job at Oshkosh immediately upon graduation, the Western Reserve, Ohio native, taught Latin until 1883 when she moved to mathematics and English. Webster's teaching style was at once demanding and companionable. She did not accept substandard work but is said to have been quick to give praise to those who met with success.

Webster balanced her strictness with good humor and as a result found praise from even those failing students forced to repeat her courses. Rose Swart, a contemporary, called Webster "the best teacher of arithmetic" she had ever known. Webster served on the faculty for 51 years—longer than any other faculty member. Webster Hall, the second dormitory built on the Oshkosh campus, was named for her in 1957.