Laura Drake Gill (August 24, 1860,

Chesterville, Maine Chesterville is a town in Franklin County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,328 at the 2020 census. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and is water. Demogra ...

, U.S. – February 3, 1926, Berea, Kentucky) was the third dean of

Barnard College Barnard College of Columbia University is a private women's liberal arts college in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded in 1889 by a group of women led by young student activist Annie Nathan Meyer, who petitioned Columbia ...

. She graduated in 1881 from

Smith College Smith College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts Women's colleges in the United States, women's college in Northampton, Massachusetts. It was chartered in 1871 by Sophia Smith (Smith College ...

with a degree in mathematics. She became an educator, in particular the third dean of Barnard College. In 1898, she left for

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

among the first group of nurses sent by the

Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...

. According to Britannica, she is "remembered particularly for her role in establishing organized placement assistance for educated women".

References

1860 births 1926 deaths Smith College alumni Educators from Maine American women educators Barnard College faculty American academic administrators People from Franklin County, Maine Women heads of universities and colleges {{US-academic-administrator-1860s-stub