Educators and Librarians of Upstate New York

• John R. Cavanaugh, Roman Catholic Priest and educator born in Rochester. Founded the Irish literature program and established an endowed Chair of Catholic Studies at St. John Fisher College, where he taught for over 50 years and a life-size bronze statue stands in his honor. Served on the board of trustees for Fisher College and Aquinas Institute. Co-founded the Rochester chapter of the Irish-American Culture Institute, served as grand marshal in Rochester's St. Patrick's Day parade, named Distinguished Irish American of the Millennium Year at the Rochester Irish Festival.
• Melvil Dewey, born in Adams Center. Inventor of the Dewey Decimal System, founder of the New York State Library School, director of the New York State Library, secretary of the University of the State of New York. He is buried in North Elba.
• Richard Hofstadter, born in Buffalo, was a public intellectual of the 1950s, a historian and DeWitt Clinton Professor of American History at Columbia University.
• Eliza Kellas, an educator most known as former principal of Emma Willard School and co-founder of Russell Sage College.
• Andrew Dickson White, co-founder of Cornell University
• Emma Willard, founder of the Troy Female Seminary, later renamed the Emma Willard School