Agnes Irwin (December 30, 1841 – December 5, 1914) was an American educator, best known as the first dean of

Radcliffe College Radcliffe College was a women's liberal arts college in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and functioned as the female coordinate institution for the all-male Harvard College. Considered founded in 1879, it was one of the Seven Sisters colleges and he ...

(1894-1909). Prior to that, she served as the principal of the West Penn Square Seminary for Young Ladies in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

(later renamed as the

Agnes Irwin School The Agnes Irwin School is a non-sectarian college preparatory day school for girls from pre-kindergarten through grade 12. It was founded in 1869 by Agnes Irwin in Philadelphia. Irwin, a great-great-granddaughter of Benjamin Franklin, later beca ...

Formative years

Born in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

on December 30, 1841, Agnes Irwin was a daughter of United States Congressman William Wallace Irwin (1803-1856) and Sophia Arabella (Bache) Irwin (1815-1904), a native of

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

who was a daughter of Richard Bache, Jr. of the

Republic of Texas The Republic of Texas ( es, República de Tejas) was a sovereign state in North America that existed from March 2, 1836, to February 19, 1846, that bordered Mexico, the Republic of the Rio Grande in 1840 (another breakaway republic from Mex ...

Navy and Second Texas Legislature (1847), and Sophia Burrell Dallas, daughter of Arabella Maria Smith and Alexander J. Dallas, an American statesman who served as the U.S. Treasury Secretary under President

James Madison James Madison Jr. (March 16, 1751June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father. He served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for hi ...

. Agnes Irwin was also a great-granddaughter of

Sarah Franklin Bache Sarah Franklin Bache (September 11, 1743 – October 5, 1808), sometimes known as Sally Bache, was the daughter of Benjamin Franklin and Deborah Read. She was a leader in relief work during the American Revolutionary War and frequently served as ...

and

Richard Bache Richard Bache (September 12, 1737 – April 17, 1811), born in Settle, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, immigrated to Philadelphia, in the colony of Pennsylvania, where he was a businessman, a marine insurance underwriter, and later served as ...

, and the great-great-granddaughter of

Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading inte ...

, as well as a grandniece of

George Mifflin Dallas George Mifflin Dallas (July 10, 1792 – December 31, 1864) was an American politician and diplomat who served as mayor of Philadelphia from 1828 to 1829, the 11th vice president of the United States from 1845 to 1849, and U.S. Minister to the ...

, the 11th

Vice President of the United States The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks first in the presidential line of succession. The vice ...

, serving under

James K. Polk James Knox Polk (November 2, 1795 – June 15, 1849) was the 11th president of the United States, serving from 1845 to 1849. He previously was the 13th speaker of the House of Representatives (1835–1839) and ninth governor of Tennessee (183 ...

Academic career

In 1869, Agnes Irwin took over the administration of West Penn Square Seminary for Young Ladies (1869-1894) in Philadelphia and transformed it into an institution of disciplined teaching. The school would be renamed in her honor. Believing in the importance of higher education for women, she was among the first to prepare students for the examinations given by

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher lea ...

, to credential women for teaching, and by

Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr College ( ; Welsh: ) is a women's liberal arts college in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Founded as a Quaker institution in 1885, Bryn Mawr is one of the Seven Sister colleges, a group of elite, historically women's colleges in the United St ...

, to qualify for entrance. The success of The Agnes Irwin School won Irwin the support of Harvard’s president,

Charles William Eliot Charles William Eliot (March 20, 1834 – August 22, 1926) was an American academic who was president of Harvard University from 1869 to 1909the longest term of any Harvard president. A member of the prominent Eliot family of Boston, he transfo ...

, and led to her selection as first dean of

in 1894, a position she held until 1909. While Dean of Radcliffe College, Irwin personally paid for two exam proctors to assist with Helen Keller's education—one to monitor Helen and the other to watch Helen's proctor. From 1911-1914, Irwin served as the first president of the Headmistresses’ Association of Private Schools. Irwin was the recipient of 3 Honorary Degrees: - 1895 - Degree Unknown - Western University of Pennsylvania (Now

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the universit ...

) - 1898 - LittD. -

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...

- 1906 - Hood 8 Degree bestowed by Andrew Carnegie -

University of St. Andrews (Aien aristeuein) , motto_lang = grc , mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best , established = , type = Public research university Ancient university , endowment ...

Illness, death and interment

Irwin fell ill with pneumonia in Philadelphia in 1914, and died there on December 5, 1914. She was interred at Philadelphia's Saint James the Less Episcopal Churchyard.

Legacy

Today,

The Agnes Irwin School The Agnes Irwin School is a non-sectarian college preparatory day school for girls from pre-kindergarten through grade 12. It was founded in 1869 by Agnes Irwin in Philadelphia. Irwin, a great-great-granddaughter of Benjamin Franklin, later beca ...

continues to be a leader in girls' education with approximately 600 girls enrolled in pre-kindergarten to 12th grades. The school is currently located in suburban

Rosemont, Pennsylvania Rosemont is a neighborhood in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, United States, on the Philadelphia Main Line. It is located in Lower Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Montgomery County. It is best known as the home of Rosemont College. Ros ...

, 10 miles west of

. Irwin died of pneumonia in Philadelphia in 1914. Irwin was the subject of a 1934 biography by

Agnes Repplier Agnes Repplier (April 1, 1855 – December 15, 1950) was an American essayist. Early years She was born in Philadelphia in 1855,Nancy A. Walker, Nancy Nash-Cummings, Zita Dresner. Redressing the balance: American women's literary humor from Colo ...

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Irwin, Agnes 1841 births 1914 deaths Educators from Philadelphia American women educators Radcliffe College faculty Franklin family People from Washington, D.C. Deaths from pneumonia in Pennsylvania