caption death_date birth_date alt image article_title name occupation
abby leach 1918 1855 yes 1855 yes abby leach abby leach.jpg abby leach
 abby leach american classical scholar
abby leach

abby leach -lrb- 1855 -- 1918 -rrb- was a professor of greek and latin at vassar college in poughkeepsie , new york from 1883 until her death .
she was one of the first female students at harvard university , enrolling in a `` plan for private collegiate instruction of women '' upon its establishment in 1879 at her behest .
the `` plan '' led to the later establishment of radcliffe college .
because harvard at that time did not grant degrees to women , vassar college granted her bachelors and master 's degrees after they appointed her to the vassar faculty .
she was a member of the greek conference of the committee of ten called by the national education association in 1894 , the only female member of any conference of the committee of ten .
in 1899 , she became the first female president of the american philological association .
from 1899 to 1901 , leach was president of the association of collegiate alumnae which later became the american association of university women .
