Winifred Ada Todhunter (1877,

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

– September 11, 1961,

Ladner, British Columbia Ladner is a part of the City of Delta, British Columbia, Canada, and a suburb of Vancouver, British Columbia. It was created as a fishing village on the banks of the Fraser River. Named for Thomas and William Ladner, who came to the area in 1 ...

) was an educator, translator and founder of the Todhunter School for girls in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. Educated at

Cheltenham Ladies' College Cheltenham Ladies' College is an independent boarding and day school for girls aged 11 to 18 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. Consistently ranked as one of the top all-girls' schools nationally, the school was established in 1853 to p ...

and London Day Training College, she was awarded a Gilchrist travelling studentship by the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degr ...

for distinction in her B.A. degree in 1904. Said to be a graduate of the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

, she translated

Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778) was a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his '' nom de plume'' M. de Voltaire (; also ; ), he was famous for his wit, and his criticism of Christianity—e ...

's historical novel about

Charles XII of Sweden Charles XII, sometimes Carl XII ( sv, Karl XII) or Carolus Rex (17 June 1682 – 30 November 1718 O.S.), was King of Sweden (including current Finland) from 1697 to 1718. He belonged to the House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken, a branch line of ...

in 1908. After lecturing in history at Stockwell Training College, she succeeded Canon Rowe as Principal of Lincoln Training College for Mistresses in 1912. In 1921 Todhunter purchased and renamed a private school for girls in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

. The Todhunter School became known for being more than just a

finishing school A finishing school focuses on teaching young women social graces and upper-class cultural rites as a preparation for entry into society. The name reflects that it follows on from ordinary school and is intended to complete the education, wi ...

, but provided courses in the arts and a solid preparation for

college A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offerin ...

. When

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...

learned in 1927 that Todhunter wished to retire to England and needed a buyer for the school, Mrs. Roosevelt proposed a partnership with Marion Dickerman, who was then the school's vice-principal, and Nancy Cook. The school eventually in 1939 became part of The Dalton School.Maurine Hoffman Beasley et al, ''The Eleanor Roosevelt encyclopedia'', 2001, p.136

Works

* (transl.) ''Voltaire's History of Charles XII, King of Sweden'', London: JM Dent, New York: EP Dutton, 1908

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Todhunter, Winifred British educational theorists British feminists Education in New York City French–English translators 1877 births 1961 deaths Alumni of the University of Oxford Alumni of the University of London People educated at Cheltenham Ladies' College