Mabel Smith Douglass (February 11, 1874 – September 21, 1933) was the first dean, in 1918, of the

New Jersey College for Women Douglass Residential College, is an undergraduate, non degree granting higher education program of Rutgers University-New Brunswick for women. It succeeded the liberal arts degree-granting Douglass College after it was merged with the other und ...

in New Brunswick, New Jersey. In 1955, the college was renamed

Douglass College Douglass Residential College, is an undergraduate, non degree granting higher education program of Rutgers University-New Brunswick for women. It succeeded the liberal arts degree-granting Douglass College after it was merged with the other und ...

in her honor.

Life

Douglass was appointed the first dean of the New Jersey College for Women when it opened in 1918 with 54 students and some 16 faculty members. With her commitment to providing women a four-year college education and outstanding leadership, Douglass spent the next 14 years shaping the college and was instrumental in helping students rise to success. Douglass attended public school in Jersey City. In 1899 she graduated from

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 ...

in New York City. In 1903, she married William Shipman Douglass, owner of a shipping business. They had two children: a son, William Shipman Douglass Jr. and daughter, Edith Douglass.

Death

In September 1932 Douglass retired due to ill health. On September 21, 1933, she went rowing on Lake Placid and never returned. She was last seen rowing alone across the lake by servants at a camp she owned. Her boat was found capsized near the shore of the deepest part of the lake, three miles opposite her starting point. Police

dredged Dredging is the excavation of material from a water environment. Possible reasons for dredging include improving existing water features; reshaping land and water features to alter drainage, navigability, and commercial use; constructing da ...

the lake and searched the surrounding mountain trails, to no avail. Thirty years later, her remarkably preserved remains were found by

scuba divers This is a list of underwater divers whose exploits have made them notable. Underwater divers are people who take part in underwater diving activities – Underwater diving is practiced as part of an occupation, or for recreation, where t ...

on a shelf about 95 feet below the water's surface.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Douglass, Mabel 1874 births 1933 deaths Burials at Green-Wood Cemetery Barnard College alumni Boating accident deaths Deaths by drowning in the United States