Women’s History Personified

In our archives, we see the impact of Madame Willard’s desire to teach females the same subjects once reserved for men only. The first female to sit for a public examination in mathematics in 1829 was a student of Troy Female Seminary, Mary Kramer. Today, our students excel in mathematics and compete internationally. A team of five Emma students (Caroline A. ’21, Lillian L. ’22, Irene N. ’21, Coco W. ’21, and Gabby Z. ’22) recently placed in the top 9% of papers submitted to the MathWorks Math Modeling Challenge. They built a predictive mathematical model and proposed solution for planning Internet bandwidth, cellular node distribution, and minimizing inequality of access.

There are many other legacies left by women who, but for Emma Hart Willard’s work, may not have had the opportunity to pursue higher education. Historians and activists alike look to the complex legacy of Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1832) when discussing how far we’ve come and how far we’ve yet to go in achieving equal rights for all. Today’s scientists are increasingly inspired by Eunice Newton Foote (1838), who first observed and documented the greenhouse effect, and note the work of Erminnie Adele Platt Smith (1853), the first woman field enthnographer, who was also the first female elected to the New York Academy of Sciences. Educators look to the leadership of individuals like Kendra Stearns O’Donnell ’60, who was the first female head of Phillips Exeter Academy (featured in the Fall 2019 edition of Signature magazine). Physicians look to the leadership of individuals like Mary Lake Polan ’61, who was the first female chair of a clinical department at Stanford University Medical School (featured in the Spring 2020 edition of Signature magazine). The Emma Willard School community learns amidst the backdrop of this vast, rich women’s history every day.

At the same time, we are constantly looking outward, remembering and acknowledging the influence of women who may have never known about Madame Willard and her work. During this Women’s History Month, members of our community have taken a moment to reflect on the people and events that have meant the most to them. Consider these contributions, which our community members have found meaningful:

We look forward to the day when today’s Emma Willard School scholars, scientists, artists, writers, musicians, and athletes are mentioned alongside these who have made history and so enriched the world around them.