Marion Coats
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Marion Coats Graves (August 2, 1885 - November 19, 1962) was an American educator known for her work in creating two-year junior colleges for women. She helped establish and was the first president of
Sarah Lawrence College Sarah Lawrence College is a private liberal arts college in Yonkers, New York. The college models its approach to education after the Oxford/Cambridge system of one-on-one student-faculty tutorials. Sarah Lawrence scholarship, particularly ...
.


Biography

Marion Coats was born in
Eaton, New York Eaton is a town in Madison County, New York, United States. The population was 5,255 at the 2010 census. The Town of Eaton is in the south-central part of the county. US Route 20 passes across the northern part of the town. History The town ...
on August 2, 1885. Her parents were Albert B. Coats and Dilla Marie Woodworth Coats. She graduated from Oak Place Private School in
Akron, Ohio Akron () is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Summit County. It is located on the western edge of the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau, about south of downtown Cleveland. As of the 2020 Census, the city ...
in 1903. She graduated from
Vassar College Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States, closely foll ...
with a
B. A. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...
in 1907. Her graduate work was done at
Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the w ...
(1910-1911) and then at
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 h ...
between then and 1915. She achieved an
M. A. A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...
and Ph.D in philosophy. She also did additional post-graduate work at
Teachers College, Columbia University Teachers College, Columbia University (TC), is the graduate school of education, health, and psychology of Columbia University, a private research university in New York City. Founded in 1887, it has served as one of the official faculties and ...
between 1930 and 1932. She began her teaching career immediately after graduating Vassar, teaching at various schools including Kimball's School in
Worcester, Massachusetts Worcester ( , ) is a city and county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, the city's population was 206,518 at the 2020 census, making it the second- most populous city in New England after ...
, the Oxford School in
Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since t ...
and Miss McClintock's School in
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
. She taught subjects including math, Latin, English and athletics. In 1915 she became principal of
Ferry Hall School The Ferry Hall School was a girls' preparatory school founded in 1869 in Lake Forest, Illinois, Lake Forest, Illinois, United States. In 1974, Ferry Hall merged into Lake Forest Academy. History Originally named The Young Ladies' Seminary at Fe ...
in
Lake Forest, Illinois Lake Forest is a city located in Lake County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 19,367. The city is along the shore of Lake Michigan, and is a part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the North Shore. Lake Fore ...
. She was president of the National Association of Principals of Schools for Girls from 1920 to 1923. She was the head of Bradford Academy in
Bradford, Massachusetts Bradford is a village and former town, in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. Eastern Bradford is the current town of Groveland, while western Bradford was annexed by the city of Haverhill, and today consists of the part of Haverhill o ...
from 1918 to 1927, which she helped transition into a junior college. It was her work at Bradford that brought her to the attention of
Henry Noble MacCracken Henry Noble MacCracken (November 19, 1880 – May 7, 1970) was an American academic administrator who was the fifth president of Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York, serving from 1915 to 1946 as the first secular president of the college. M ...
, who was assisting William Lawrence in his effort to endow a new college. She and MacCracken incorporated the ideas she developed at Bradford into the founding of
Sarah Lawrence College Sarah Lawrence College is a private liberal arts college in Yonkers, New York. The college models its approach to education after the Oxford/Cambridge system of one-on-one student-faculty tutorials. Sarah Lawrence scholarship, particularly ...
. It became the first chartered junior college in New York state and she was its first president. It was one of the first two-year junior colleges in the country. She was president from 1926 to 1929, but ultimately resigned her position after she and MacCracken had disagreements over policy. In 1932 she became acting president of
Westbrook Seminary Westbrook College was a liberal arts college in Portland, Maine, founded 1831 as Westbrook Seminary in Westbrook, Maine. It closed in 1996 and merged with the University of New England, which uses its old campus. History In 1831, Westbrook Sem ...
in
Portland, Maine Portland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Maine and the seat of Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 in April 2020. The Greater Portland metropolitan area is home to over half a million people, the 104th-largest metropo ...
. She then served as dean of Ogontz Junior College in
Rydal, Pennsylvania Rydal is an unincorporated community in Abington Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. Rydal is predominantly residential, except for one large shopping area. The Abington campus of Penn State is located in Rydal. The Rydal ...
for nine years. She later returned to Bradford Junior College as its dean in 1950-1951 before retiring. She married Clifford L. Graves of Hartford in July 1929. Her husband died before her, and she died in Boston on November 19, 1962.


Selected publications

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Graves, Marion Coats 1885 births 1962 deaths Sarah Lawrence College faculty Vassar College alumni Radcliffe College alumni