Sophia Smith
Encyclopedia
Sophia Smith founded Smith College
in 1870 with the substantial estate she inherited from her father and siblings.
Deaf since age 40, Smith initially considered endowing her fortune to an institute for the deaf, but changed her mind when the Clarke School for the Deaf
opened in Northampton
, Massachusetts
in 1868. Encouraged by the Reverend John Morton Greene, she decided to endow a women's college
instead. Upon her death on June 12, 1870, her fortune was willed to endow Smith College, which opened its doors in 1875. She also left money for the establishment of coeducational high school in her hometown of Hatfield, Massachusetts
.
Smith College
Smith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
in 1870 with the substantial estate she inherited from her father and siblings.
Deaf since age 40, Smith initially considered endowing her fortune to an institute for the deaf, but changed her mind when the Clarke School for the Deaf
Clarke School for the Deaf
Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech, formerly Clarke School for the Deaf, is a private school located in Northampton, Massachusetts that specializes in educating deaf children using the oral method through the assistance of hearing aids and cochlear implants...
opened in Northampton
Northampton, Massachusetts
The city of Northampton is the county seat of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of Northampton's central neighborhoods, was 28,549...
, 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...
in 1868. Encouraged by the Reverend John Morton Greene, she decided to endow a women's college
Women's college
Women's colleges in higher education are undergraduate, bachelor's degree-granting institutions, often liberal arts colleges, whose student populations are composed exclusively or almost exclusively of women...
instead. Upon her death on June 12, 1870, her fortune was willed to endow Smith College, which opened its doors in 1875. She also left money for the establishment of coeducational high school in her hometown of Hatfield, Massachusetts
Hatfield, Massachusetts
Hatfield is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,249 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area....
.