Emma Willard was a vocal proponent of educating women. She founded the first school for women’s higher education in the United States, which was later renamed the Emma Willard School. The school, which is located in Troy, New York, is still in operation today.
Early Life
Emma Hart Willard was born on February 23, 1787, in Berlin, Connecticut. Her father, a local farmer, encouraged her to write, read, and think independently. After finishing her studies, she first entered the field of education as a teacher.
In 1807, Willard moved to Middlebury, Vermont to run a female academy. She served as the principal of the Middlebury Female Seminary from 1807 to 1809. While there, she married a local doctor named John Willard.
Willard opened her own school, the Middlebury Female Seminary, in 1814. Inspired by the education her nephew received at nearby Middlebury College, Willard’s goal was to provide higher education that young women who were denied entry to colleges and universities because of their gender.
Advocacy for Women’s Education
In 1819, Willard wrote a pamphlet, Address… Proposing a Plan for Improving Female Education, which she presented to the New York Legislature. It advocated for the establishment of a women’s seminary, which would be publicly funded just like secondary schools for men. In support, she argued that the education of women “has been too exclusively directed to fit them for displaying to advantage the charms of youth and beauty.”
Willard ultimately gained the support of New York Governor DeWitt Clinton. In 1821, Willard moved to Troy, New York, where she opened the Troy Female Seminary. The school taught female students subjects that were previously restricted to men, such as mathematics, philosophy, geography, history, and science. The school was a success, enrolling more than 300 students by 1831.
Willard wrote several textbooks, including History of the United States, or Republic of America (1828), A System of Fulfillment of a Promise (1831), A Treatise on the Motive Powers which Produce the Circulation of the Blood (1846), Guide to the Temple of Time and Universal History for Schools (1849), Last Leaves of American History (1849), Astronography; or Astronomical Geography (1854), and Morals for the Young (1857).
As Willard got older, she transferred the operation of the school to her son and daughter-in-law. She spent her time traveling abroad, advocating for women’s education. Willard died in 1871. The Troy Female Seminary was renamed the Emma Willard School in 1895.
