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• About the Simmons College Archives
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• Collections and Resources
  • College Records
  • Manuscripts Collection
  • Historical Book Collections
  • Charities Collection
  • Notable Women of Simmons College Digital Scrapbook Collection
• Simmons College History
  • A Brief History of Simmons College
  • Presidents of Simmons College
  • Women of Simmons College, 1900-1920
  • Traditions of Simmons College
  • Buildings of Simmons College
  • History of Garland Junior College
• Records Management
  • Storage and Retrieval of Records
  • Records Retention Schedules
  • Electronic Records Guidelines
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Simmons College Archives

The Women of Simmons College, 1900 - 1920

Education, transformation, and empowerment form the core of the Simmons College experience. In 1899, the vision of John Simmons—to provide an opportunity for women to earn an independent livelihood—became a reality with the incorporation of Simmons Female College. Influential, dedicated women proved instrumental to establishing the College, institutionalizing its unique mission, and realizing its potential.

Early Corporation members provided guidance in establishing educational programs which sought to improve and enhance the professional and personal lives of women. Faculty members came to Simmons to not only teach in the classroom but to lead by example, continuing careers of note and prominence in their disciplines and professions. Early alumnae of Simmons built upon the educational and practical foundation the College offered to pursue professional success in a variety of fields.

This exhibit presents a look at a few of women who defined the first decades of Simmons College. They were remarkable individuals who personify the mission of the College both then and now. Their interests, careers, and lives demonstrate the power of education to empower and transform individuals.

 

The Corporation

The founding and early history of Simmons College owes a great debt to the strength and influence of a handful of prominent and respected Boston residents. Among the thirteen individuals called upon to carry out John Simmons’s will and apply to the Massachusetts legislature for incorporation of this innovative educational venture were two women—Fanny Baker Ames and Frances Rollins Morse. Their passion and interest in social justice and women’s education set a course that future members of the Corporation would follow.

After the May 1899 incorporation of Simmons Female College, a number of new Corporation members were recruited to help design the College’s educational program. Mary Morton Kehew, Marion McGregor Noyes, and Mary Eleanor Williams were, like Ames and Morse, leaders of Boston’s charitable community who used their energy and influence to foster social change. Through education and social work, they sought to improve the lives of poor and working women and their families.

Many of these women served on the Simmons Corporation well into the 20th century. Their influence was reflected in many of the College’s early programs and remains evident in the priorities and mission of Simmons College in the twenty-first century.

Visit here to learn more about the early members of the Corporation of Simmons College

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The Faculty

Following the appointment of Henry Lefavour as the first president of Simmons College, the Corporation turned to one of its own members, Sarah Louise Arnold, to serve as Dean of the College. Together, Lefavour and Arnold built a faculty of full- and part-time professors who employed a combination of scholarship and practical expertise to educate and prepare the College’s students for professional pursuits.

Pioneers in social work, such as Zilpha Drew Smith, trained young professionals, two of whom—Eva Whiting White and Ida Cannon—would later join the Simmons faculty while making major contributions to their profession. Many Simmons faculty members published and were prominent in their fields, and others continued to work while at Simmons. Susan Kingsbury, for example, taught while directing the research department of the Women’s Educational and Industrial Union, and Eleanor Manning was a noted architect well into the 1950s. In an age where few women went to college or held professional careers, the early faculty of Simmons College set a high standard many of their students would emulate.

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The Alumnae

Simmons College graduated its first class of 32 students in 1906. These pioneering women and future alumnae pursued notable careers and active lives, applying the education obtained at Simmons to better themselves and the communities in which they lived and worked. Many went on to hold respected and significant positions in the fields of public health nursing, household economics, librarianship, and social work; others became doctors, writers, politicians, and public servants.

Common among the experiences of all alumnae of Simmons College is the remarkable range of personal and professional activities aspired to and achieved after graduation. These accomplished women often attributed their successes to both the strong and practical educational foundation Simmons College provided and the encouragement of successful and mentoring faculty. For many graduates, a Simmons education led to challenging, successful careers, and the self-respect that came from earning an “independent livelihood.”

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Please Note: The images and text on the Simmons College Archives web site are made available for study purposes only. They may not be reproduced in any form without prior written permission from the Simmons College Archives. For further information, please call 617-521-2440.

Page updated: July 8, 2008