Helen Metcalf Danforth (1887–1984;
née
A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth ...
Helen Pierce Metcalf) was an American university president. From 1931 to 1947, she served as the President of
Rhode Island School of Design
The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD , pronounced "Riz-D") is a private art and design school in Providence, Rhode Island. The school was founded as a coeducational institution in 1877 by Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf, who sought to increase the ...
(RISD).
Early life
Helen Metcalf Danforth was born September 3, 1887 in Providence, Rhode Island, to parents Esther (née Pierce) and Stephen Olney Metcalf. Her paternal grandmother was
Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf, the founder of Rhode Island School of Design (RISD); her paternal aunt was
Eliza Greene Metcalf Radeke
Eliza Greene Metcalf Radeke (1854–1931) was the president of the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in Providence, Rhode Island from 1913 to 1931 and was the daughter of RISD co-founder Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf.
Biography
Eliza Greene ...
, a former RISD president; and her paternal uncle was
Jesse H. Metcalf, a United States Senator. Her father Stephen had worked as a treasurer at RISD.
She attended the
St. Timothy's School in Maryland.
In 1916 she married Dr. Murray Snell Danforth, an orthopedic surgeon, together they had three children.
Career
In 1931, Danforth was elected as the 8th President of Rhode Island School of Design, succeeding Eliza Greene Metcalf Radeke.
During her time as President, Danforth introduced the degree program (1932), and turned it into an accredited college program (1949).
During her tenure the campus enlarged which included the addition of the Metcalf Building on College Street (1936), the Auditorium (1941), and the Metcalf Refectory, and the Waterman Street dormitories (1959).
In 1947, she stepped down as President and became Chair of the Board of Trustees until her retirement in 1965.
Additionally she was a fine art collector and was a philanthropist.
Danforth died on October 18, 1984 in Providence.
Her burial was in
Swan Point Cemetery
Swan Point Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Established in 1846 on a 60-acre (0.24 km2) plot of land, it has approximately 40,000 interments.
History
The cemetery was first organ ...
.
Danforth was elected to the
Rhode Island Women's Heritage Hall of Fame in 1998.
See also
*
List of presidents of the Rhode Island School of Design
References
External links
Guide to the Helen M. Danforth records, 1926-1967
{{DEFAULTSORT:Danforth, Helen Metcalf
1887 births
1984 deaths
Educators from Providence, Rhode Island
Rhode Island School of Design faculty
Burials at Swan Point Cemetery
Women heads of universities and colleges