Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1893-02-24
MRS. WILLARD AND MRS. LEAwrr.
SKETCHES OF THEIR LIVES AND WORK.

inst.' contains the following accounts
of the lives and labors of two women
who did much for the cause of the ed
ucation of women not only in Middle
bury, but throughout the country. Ac-
campaigning the articles are pictures of
the two ladies, of the Ozias Seymour
house, on Mr.. Philip Battel's premises,
where Mrs. willard taught in 1907; of
Mrs. Linsley's residence on South
Main street, where she lived IN 1914. and
of the old seminary building on Semi
nary street, now the property of MIR. Nj.
A. Munroe:
Emma willard, the earliest and per-
haps the ablest of women Educators of
America, the forerunner of Mary Lyon
of Mt. HolyUke fame, is all too little
know II to the teachers and other friends
of education. She was clearly the pioneer
in wOman's effort for the education of wo-
men. 1t is emInently fitting that in this Co
lumbar year her memory should be reviv
ed and that American women should pro-
vide for department of the Woman's
building at the Worlds Fair as an Emnl|
Willard memorial: and it rs equally gr/t-
flying 10 have the descendants of her
pupils and the pupils of her longtime
after successor, Mrs. Leavitt, raise five
thousand dollars for scholarships for
women at Middlebury college, ground
hallowed by the earliest efforts of Mrs.
Willard to provide as liberal education
for woman as for man.
1t is now nearly eighty years since
Emma Willard startled New England by
10, adj
1t was in Mddlebury that she inaugu-
rated work that will go forward so
long as civilization shall endure. Her
success was all the more praisewOrthy
because of the inertia and conservatism
of the times. Many of the noblest, most
godly men of the day believed it revolu-
tionary. 1t was openly denounced as a
crazy freak everyday detrimental to the
public good. What was to become of
tireside peace and religious tranquility
if women learned science and read
Greek. Many otherwise clear-headed,
large-hearted men honestly thought that
the designs and will of God would be
frustrated if women became learned.
1t is a Northumberland tradition that
one devOut farmer exclaimed, "Well, if
they are going to educate the girls l
shall expect to see them educate the
cows!' Emma Willard had her obsta-
Giles to overcome, but she did it heroical-
ly, brilliantly.
Mrs. Emma (Hart) Willard was born
in Berlin, Connecticut, in 1881 AT the
age of sixteen she taught the district
school in her native town. The follow
ing year she opened a select school, and
the third year was placed at the head of
the Berlin academy. Teaching through
the summer and winter months, she
managed to attend either one or the
other of the two boarding schools in
Hartford, in the fall and spring.
In 1907 she began her llfe-wOrk as a
teacher in girls academy at Middlebury
Vermont, and in 1909 she was married to
DIR. Willard. In 1914 she opened IA board
ing school inMiddlebury, introducing new
studies and new methods of teaching
She was invited by Governor Clinton
to remove her school to Waterford, and
the governor recommended her plan
for schools to the legislature in his mes
sage. AS result, an act was passed to
incorporate the institute at Waterford,
and another to give to female academies
share of the literary fund, beng, il
is believed, the first law passed by any
legislature with the direct object of i'm
|
In 1921 Mrs. Willard remoJ ed hel
school to Troy, and was abundantly
successful. This seminary is always
associated with her name ana fame. She
resigned her charge of Troy seminary
in 1888, and removed to Hartford, Con
netcut, where she died in 1875.
The work of Mrs. Emma Willard a
Middlebury was interrupted by the
removal to other fields of labor, and tn,
place of her first great work would no
have been In position to ask for any
memorial to the distinguished woman
but for the re-establishment of ladies
seminary at Middlebury, VT, in 1860 by
Mrs. Nancy NJ. Leavitt, for it is largely
her pupils who are providing the scholar
ships. Circumstances proved that sht
was eminently qualified fol- so great ,
work. Under her administration thu
seminary buildings were crowded TO thei
utmost capacity, while many were denieC
access for want OF room. For eigh
years she made this one of the best anC
most widely known seminaries IN New
England and gave it reputation tina
will not be dimmed for many years.
Since it is due to her students tina
memorial scholarships are to be provided
for Middlebury college this year, we MAKE
special mention of her services. NJ
higher tribute could be paid any woman
than the fact that a quarter of Il century
after her retirement, hundreds of he
pupils have united earnestly In a move
ment to honor the name of Mrs. Emm;
Willard, whose memory is Middlebury'
most sacred trust. This is no NOR,
than might have been expected of tn,
pupils of noble woman who had tn,
power of arousing enthusiasm, ant
developing womanly character beyonl
anything known in the ordinary schoo
of that day.
Mrs. Nancy. Nj. (Pratt) Leavitt, tn
foremost educator of Vermont for fortl
years. was born i'm Oxford, Mass, in 1910
In her childhood her parents removed t.
Vermont. Miss Pratt commenced teach
ing when fifteen years old in distric
school in Rutland for seventy-five cent
per week, that paid in wheat, which hat
to be sold before she could receive he
salary. This, her first experience, estab
lished her reputation as a teacher in Rut
land county and her services ever afte
were i'm rpOuest at q higher cOmDensatIO