Sarah Porter
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article does not cite any references or sources. (September 2007) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
Sarah Porter (August 17, 1813–February 18, 1900) was the American educator who founded Miss Porter's School for Girls.
She was born in Farmington, Connecticut to Rev. Noah Porter (1781-1866) and his wife, Mehitable "Hetty" Meigs Porter (1786-1874). She was educated at Farmington 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 sciences 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.
Her older brother, Noah Porter, was President of Yale College from 1871 to 1886.
Miss Porter's School, still located in Farmington, continues to operate as a private college preparatory school for girls.
