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Mary Lyon

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Educator

The Resume

    (February 28, 1797-March 5, 1849)
    Born in Buckland, Massachusetts
    Mary Mason Lyon
    Pioneer in women's education
    Founded Wheaton Female Seminary (1834)
    Founded Mt. Holyoke Female Seminary, now Mount Holyoke College (1837)
    Attended Sanderson Academy in Ashfield, Mass. (1817-1821)
    Attended Byfield Female Seminary, in Byfield, Mass. (1821-1824)
    Taught at Adams Female Academy in Londonberry, New Hampshire (1824-1834)
    Published 'A Missionary Offering' (1843)
    Buried on the Mount Holyoke College campus, in front of Porter Hall and behind the Amphitheatre

Why she might be annoying:

    She (intermittently) attended two different Secondary schools.
    In its second year of operation, her South Hadley seminary turned away 400 applicants.
    Well, in terms of looks, let's just say its a good thing she wasn't a Playboy centerfold.
    Actually, her angular features make her look a little like Carly Fiorina in a Puritan-getup.
    She required her pupils to perform domestic tasks, such as window-washing and sharpening knifes.
    She also required her students to 'walk one mile after breakfast, reducing that requirement to 45 minutes for New England winters.

Why she might not be annoying:

    Emily Dickinson was one of her pupils.
    Her father died when she was five.
    Her mother took off after remarrying, leaving Mary to work on the farm with her brother.
    Her humble beginnings are said to have driven her desire to make education affordable for all people, but especially young girls.
    She served as Holyoke's first president (or principal) for 12 years.
    Her business model for the Seminary (supported by the public, on its own land, managed by trustees) would become a virtual blueprint for most every major 'women's college' in the US.
    She was so determined to make her dream a reality that she went door-to-door soliciting donations toward fundraising (she personally raised $1000; ultimately $27,000 was raised from some 91 towns).
    She was an early proponent of teaching calisthenics to young women (even clearing the storage hallways for daily exercise until a school gymnasium was built).
    She is honored in the National Women's Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, New York.
    Her writings are a fountain of thought-provoking quotes, like 'if anyone feels he has no responsibilities, it is because he has not sought them out.'

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 3 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 3 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 26 Votes: 73.08% Annoying