Frances Fenton Bernard Park (December 4, 1880 – July 21, 1953) was an American college professor and dean. She succeeded

Ada Louise Comstock Ada Louise Comstock (December 11, 1876 – December 12, 1973) was an American women's education pioneer. She served as the first dean of women at the University of Minnesota and later as the first full-time president of Radcliffe College. Early ...

as dean of

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, United States. It was chartered in 1871 by Sophia Smit ...

, an office she held from 1924 to 1928.

Early life and education

Fenton was born in Washington, D.C., the daughter of Ernest A. Fenton and Mary S. Welsh Fenton. 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. The college be ...

in 1902, and served as a trustee of the Vassar Alumnae Association. She earned her Ph.D. in sociology from the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

in 1910.

Career

Bernard taught at a normal school in Minnesota, and at

Mount Holyoke College Mount Holyoke College is a Private college, private Women's colleges in the United States, women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in South Hadley, Massachusetts, United States. It is the oldest member of the h ...

, as a young woman. She became an assistant professor of economics at

Wellesley College Wellesley College is a Private university, private Women's colleges in the United States, historically women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1870 by Henr ...

in 1920. She was educational secretary of the

American Association of University Women The American Association of University Women (AAUW), officially founded in 1881, is a non-profit organization that advances Justice, equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research. The organization has a nationwide Social net ...

(AAUW) from 1922 to 1924. She succeeded Ada Louise Comstock as dean of Smith College in 1924. In 1932, she was secretary of the Sixth World Conference of the New Education Fellowship, held in France. Later in life, Park was assistant to the president of

Bennington College Bennington College is a private liberal arts college in Bennington, Vermont, United States. Founded as a women’s college in 1932,

in 1940, in charge of public relations and fundraising. As the college president's assistant, she accompanied him to Washington, D.C. to meet President

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

on matters related to

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

in 1940. She taught at the

William Alanson White Institute The William Alanson White Institute (WAWI), founded in 1943, is an institution for training psychoanalysts and psychotherapists that also offers general psychotherapy and psychoanalysis. It is located in the Clara Thompson building of the Upper We ...

from 1947 to 1951, and became a psychoanalyst in her later years.

Publications

In addition to her own work, Bernard wrote more than two dozen book reviews for the ''

American Journal of Sociology The ''American Journal of Sociology'' is a peer-reviewed bi-monthly academic journal that publishes original research and book reviews in the field of sociology and related social sciences. It was founded in 1895 as the first journal in its disci ...

'', between 1912 and 1917. She also wrote reviews for the journal ''

Social Forces ''Social Forces'' (formerly ''The Journal of Social Forces'') is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal of social science published by Oxford University Press for the Department of Sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. ...

'' in the 1920s. In 1946, she wrote the entry on

Belva Ann Lockwood Belva Ann Bennett Lockwood (October 24, 1830 – May 19, 1917) was an American lawyer, politician, educator, and author who was active in the women's rights and women's suffrage movements. She was one of the first women lawyers in the United St ...

for the ''

Dictionary of American Biography The ''Dictionary of American Biography'' (DAB) was a multi-volume dictionary published in New York City by Charles Scribner's Sons under the auspices of the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS). History The dictionary was first propo ...

''. * "The Tenure of Office of Trustees" (1922) * "The Educational Program of the American Association of University Women" (1924)

Personal life and legacy

Fenton married fellow sociologist Luther Lee Bernard. They had a daughter, and divorced in 1922. She married again in 1928, to Edwin Avery Park, a

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

professor about ten years her junior. She died in 1953, at the age of 72, in Boston. After her death, some of her poetry was set to music by Yale professor and composer Richard Frank Donovan.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Park, Frances Fenton Bernard 1880 births 1953 deaths Academics from Washington, D.C. Smith College faculty Wellesley College faculty Mount Holyoke College faculty University of Chicago alumni Vassar College alumni American sociologists