Hortense May Orcutt (October 2, 1874 – January 21, 1936) was an American educator and businessperson. She was the superintendent of the

Kate Baldwin Free Kindergarten 134–142 Houston Street, in the Historic DistrictHistoric Building M ...

for twenty-five years. During her time in the role, the business grew into a popular system of kindergartens and a training school (known as the Normal Department) for kindergarten teachers,"Collection Number: 02834. Collection Title: Kate Baldwin Free Kindergarten Records, 1899-1938"
- The Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library,

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...

with as many as five kindergartens in operation at one time."Kate Baldwin Free Kindergarten (Savannah, Ga.) photograph album"
- Georgia Historical Society The network educated approximately four thousand children between 1899 and 1943. She was regarded as one of the most prominent women of

Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Br ...

, between her arrival in 1907 and her death in 1936.

Life and career

Orcutt was born in 1874, in

Conway, Massachusetts Conway is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,761 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Conway was first settled by English colonists ...

, to William Baker Orcutt and Mary Ella Kingsley. Her mother died when Orcutt was nineteen years old; her father followed four years later. She trained for kindergarten work at New York City's

Ethical Culture School Ethical Culture Fieldston School (ECFS), also referred to as Fieldston, is a private independent school in New York City. The school is a member of the Ivy Preparatory School League. The school serves approximately 1,700 students with 480 facul ...

, and after graduating, taught in the school's psychology department. After moving to

, in 1907, she became a member of the Girl Scout Board of Councilors and the city's chapter of the

League of Women Voters The League of Women Voters (LWV or the League) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan political organization in the United States. Founded in 1920, its ongoing major activities include registering voters, providing voter information, and advocating for vot ...

Death

Orcutt died in 1936, aged 61. Her funeral was held at Christ Church in Savannah. She was interred alongside her parents in Center Cemetery in Whately, Massachusetts. Upon her death, the training school was discontinued, but the Baldwin family continued the East Side Kindergarten, and nine other kindergartens continued under the auspices of the public schools, a church and other organizations."Kate Baldwin Kindergarten Papers, 1899–1938"
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

References

External links

Hortense May Orcutt at a grave-finding website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Orcutt, Horstense May 1874 births 1936 deaths People from Conway, Massachusetts People from Savannah, Georgia 19th-century American businesswomen 19th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American businesswomen 20th-century American businesspeople 19th-century American educators 20th-century American educators Ethical Culture Fieldston School alumni