Elizabeth Cabot Agassiz
Elizabeth Cabot Agassiz | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 1st President of Radcliffe College | |
| In office 1882–1903 | |
| Succeeded by | LeBaron Russell Briggs |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Elizabeth Cabot Cary December 5, 1822 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | June 27, 1907 (aged 84) Arlington, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Spouse | |
Elizabeth Cabot Agassiz (
Agassiz traveled to Brazil with her husband from 1865 to 1866, and on the
Early life and education
Elizabeth Cabot Cary was born on December 5, 1822, into a
The Cary and Perkins families were from England, and came to Massachusetts during the seventeenth century. Elizabeth Cary was the second of five daughters and seven children and was referred to as "Lizzie" by her immediate family and close friends.[3] Because of her fragile health, she was tutored at home in Temple Place, Boston, which included the study of languages, drawing, music, and reading. She additionally received informal history lessons from Elizabeth Peabody.[3]
Career
Agassiz traveled with her husband,
In 1856, in their home in
Agassiz contributed to the founding of the coeducational Anderson School of Natural History. In 1869, she became one of the first women members of the
Society for the Private Collegiate Instruction for Women
In 1879, Agassiz was one of seven female managing directors of the Society for the Private Collegiate Instruction for Women (Harvard Annex). This provided qualified women who intended to pursue an advancement in their education in Cambridge with the opportunity to have private tuition from professors at Harvard College.[1]
Agassiz was essential in ensuring that the "Harvard Annex" for women's education was transformed in 1894 from Harvard University into Radcliffe College. From 1894 to 1900, this college was under their direction and from 1900 to 1903 she was honorary president. With her tact and her fundraising skills she promoted the college and contributed significantly to its continuity.[citation needed]
Agassiz became a member of the Ladies' Visiting Committee for the Kindergarten for the Blind, under the
Research and published works
Agassiz's research can be studied through her published books in addition to her series of diary entries depicting her global ventures. Her publications include A First Lesson in Natural History (1859) and Seaside Studies in Natural History (1865), in which she was assisted by her stepson,
Personal life
Following the marriage of her older sister Mary to Harvard Professor Cornelius Conway Felton (later president of Harvard University), Agassiz began socializing with a group of intellectuals in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 1846, she met scientist Louis Agassiz at a dinner with Mary and her husband. Though they wanted to marry, he was married, with three children (Pauline, Ida and Alexander) in Switzerland. His wife died in 1848. In December 1849 — when it became more socially acceptable for the couple to wed — Lizzie's father gave his blessing in support of their marriage. They married on April 25, 1850, in Boston, Massachusetts at King's Chapel. Agassiz organized the household and took care of the finances and the children. She developed strong relationships with her stepchildren, Alexander, Ida, and Pauline, and her grandchildren. She had no children of her own.[1]
After her husband's death in 1873,
Agassiz died on June 27, 1907, in
Selected works
- A First Lesson in Natural History (1859)
- Seaside Studies in Natural History (1865)
- A Journey in Brazil (1868)
- Louis Agassiz: His Life and Correspondence, vol. I and vol. II (1885)
References
Citations
 | This article cites its page references. (December 2019) ) |
- ^ a b c d e f g h Paton, Lucy Allen. Elizabeth Cabot Agassiz; a biography. Boston, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1919.
- ^ Willard & Livermore 1893, p. 10.
- ^ a b c "AGASSIZ, Elizabeth Cabot Cary (Dec. 5, 1822-June 27, 1907)". Notable American Women: 1607–1950. Boston: Harvard University Press, 1971.
- ISBN 0-87436-740-9.
- ^ Agassiz, Elizabeth Cabot Cary. Diary of Elizabeth Cabot Cary Agassiz, May, 1865. A Journey in Brazil. Boston: Ticknor & Co., 1868.
- ^ "Obituary.; Professor Agassiz" (PDF). The New York Times. December 15, 1873. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
- ^ Times, Special to The New York (June 28, 1907). "Elizabeth Cabot Agassiz" (PDF). The New York Times. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
Attribution
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Willard, Frances Elizabeth; Livermore, Mary Ashton Rice (1893). "Elizabeth Cabot Agassiz". A Woman of the Century: Fourteen Hundred-seventy Biographical Sketches Accompanied by Portraits of Leading American Women in All Walks of Life (Public domain ed.). Moulton.
External links
