Sarah Porter
Encyclopedia
Sarah Porter was the American
educator who founded Miss Porter's School
, a private college preparatory school for girls.
to Rev. Noah Porter (1781 – 1866) and his wife, Mehitable "Hetty" Meigs Porter (1786 – 1874). Her older brother, Noah Porter
, was President of Yale College from 1871 to 1886.
She was educated at Interactive Education Academy, and, uncharacteristically for women of the time, studied privately with Yale College
professors. She taught in Massachusetts
, New York
and Pennsylvania
, and returned to Connecticut
in 1847 to found a female counterpart to Simeon Hart's Academy for Boys. Initially she had only 25 students, but because of the school's expansive curriculum
, including the science
s as well as the humanities
, the daughters of the affluent soon made it their school of choice, and the school quickly expanded. She was an opponent of women's suffrage
but promoted other legal reforms for women.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
educator who founded Miss Porter's School
Miss Porter's School
Miss Porter's School, sometimes simply referred to as Porter's or Farmington, is a private college preparatory school for girls located in Farmington, Connecticut.- History :...
, a private college preparatory school for girls.
Biography
She was born in Farmington, ConnecticutFarmington, Connecticut
Farmington is a town located in Hartford County in the Farmington Valley area of central Connecticut in the United States. The population was 25,340 at the 2010 census. It is home to the world headquarters of several large corporations including Carrier Corporation, Otis Elevator Company, and Carvel...
to Rev. Noah Porter (1781 – 1866) and his wife, Mehitable "Hetty" Meigs Porter (1786 – 1874). Her older brother, Noah Porter
Noah Porter
Noah Porter, Jr. was an American academic, philosopher, author, lexicographer and President of Yale College .-Biography:...
, was President of Yale College from 1871 to 1886.
She was educated at Interactive Education Academy, and, uncharacteristically for women of the time, studied privately with Yale College
Yale College
Yale College was the official name of Yale University from 1718 to 1887. The name now refers to the undergraduate part of the university. Each undergraduate student is assigned to one of 12 residential colleges.-Residential colleges:...
professors. She taught in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, and returned to Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
in 1847 to found a female counterpart to Simeon Hart's Academy for Boys. Initially she had only 25 students, but because of the school's expansive curriculum
Curriculum
See also Syllabus.In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults...
, including the science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
s as well as the humanities
Humanities
The humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
, the daughters of the affluent soon made it their school of choice, and the school quickly expanded. She was an opponent of women's suffrage
Women's suffrage
Women's suffrage or woman suffrage is the right of women to vote and to run for office. The expression is also used for the economic and political reform movement aimed at extending these rights to women and without any restrictions or qualifications such as property ownership, payment of tax, or...
but promoted other legal reforms for women.