Brilliant Student

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6626, 12 August 1931, Page 10

Brilliant Student

WUcr: ALICE FREEMAN PALMER. Where: The United States. When: Nineteenth century. Why famous: An American educator, second president of Wellesley Coilotre. Her parents lived on a farm iA* Now’Yofk • State, where Alice spent her childhood. She was always a brilliant student and planned to bo admitted to -Vassar College 5 but when she was ready, in 1872, nor steps led her not, after all, to Vassar, but to Michigan University. While there sho was not content with scholarship alone. Through a part of her course sho taught,- and at the same time she organised the Students' Christian Association which young men and women were to enter on equal terms. Swiftly Alico Freeman moved from one intellectual experience to another. For two years she was principal of a high school in a Micdigan town, leaving there only to become professor of hitory at Wellesley College, near Boston In 1881 came her apointment P arting preside, and tho foltoimt she accepted tho presidency. Wellesley, crowded and prosperous a itTs to-day, owes much to her wisdom and foresight, to her executive ability which brought about mprovements and a thorough organisation ot all de nartments. It was under tho direction of Alice Freeman that tho standard of scholarship was raised, that degrees were granted, that students increased and new buildings .were added. Under her leadership, Wellesley claimed its place among the truly important of go American Colleges for women She remained in office until 1887 when she resigned, just marriage to George Herbert Palme professor of philosophy at Harvard University. Not even then AM her interest flag where public and hurnani tarian causes were concerned, So belonged to numerous creational and reform associations and she was a trustee of Wellesley College. Often she appeared upon the lecture platform. Her career, completed as it 1 .L H . „ very few years, was rcwas within a very •>, ’ „ „ *mmised by the conferring of many degrees of That hers was a rarely beautiful character eyidenced L the hastiest examination of he radiant portrait, as it hangs College Library at Wellesley