Mary Elizabeth Haskell, later Minis (December 11, 1873 – October 9, 1964), was an American educator, best known for having been the benefactress of Lebanese-American writer, poet and visual artist
Kahlil Gibran
Gibran Khalil Gibran (January 6, 1883 – April 10, 1931), usually referred to in English as Kahlil Gibran, was a Lebanese-American writer, poet and Visual arts, visual artist; he was also considered a philosopher, although he himself reject ...
.
Life
Haskell was born in
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is List of municipalities in South Carolina, the second-mo ...
, to
Alexander Cheves Haskell and his second wife Alice Van Yeveren (Alexander, sister of
Edward Porter Alexander
Edward Porter Alexander (May 26, 1835 – April 28, 1910) was an American military engineer, railroad executive, planter, and author. He served first as an officer in the United States Army and later, during the American Civil War (1861–1865) ...
).
[.] She was educated at the Presbyterian College for women, Columbia, South Carolina, and
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 ...
, Massachusetts, A.B., 1897.
She was the principal of a private school for girls in
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
, known as Miss Haskell's School for Girls. She taught here, along with her elder sister Louise Porter Haskell. In 1918, this school merged with
The Cambridge School of Weston.
On May 7, 1926, she married Jacob Florance Minis (1852–1936), whose first wife had died in 1921.
Relationship with Kahlil Gibran
In 1904, she met
Kahlil Gibran
Gibran Khalil Gibran (January 6, 1883 – April 10, 1931), usually referred to in English as Kahlil Gibran, was a Lebanese-American writer, poet and Visual arts, visual artist; he was also considered a philosopher, although he himself reject ...
at an exhibition of his work at
Fred Holland Day
Fred Holland Day (July 23, 1864 – November 23, 1933) was an American photographer and publisher. He was prominent in literary and photography circles in the late nineteenth century and was a leading Pictorialism, Pictorialist. He was an ea ...
's studio,
where she had offered to let him display his work at her institution. This interaction began what would come to be a lifelong friendship between Haskell and Gibran. She is known to have funded his artistic endeavors and edited his English writings. There is contention among biographers as to possible romantic dynamics between the two. Some assert that they were never romantically involved, while others assert they were, but that Haskell's family opposed the relationship. Between 1910 and 1911, Gibran proposed to Haskell, and they were briefly engaged. In a book by Joseph P. Ghougassian, Gibran was said to have "offered to marry her" in order to "repay back in gratitude to Miss Haskell," even "though the idea in his mind was despicable." Haskell broke off the engagement, claiming she preferred him as a friend, rather than spouse. She continued to be his patron and friend.
Haskell financed Kahlil Gibran's trip to Paris, allowing for his studies at the ''
Académie Julian
The () was a private art school for painting and sculpture founded in Paris, France, in 1867 by French painter and teacher Rodolphe Julian (1839–1907). The school was active from 1868 through 1968. It remained famous for the number and qual ...
'' and the ''
École des Beaux-Arts
; ) refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The term is associated with the Beaux-Arts architecture, Beaux-Arts style in architecture and city planning that thrived in France and other countries during the late nineteenth centu ...
''. As an act of appreciation for Haskell's support and friendship, Gibran dedicated several of his writings to her memory.
References
Sources
*
Further reading
*
External links
The Kahlil Gibran Collective
{{DEFAULTSORT:Haskell, Mary
1873 births
1964 deaths
People from Columbia, South Carolina
Wellesley College alumni
Burials at Laurel Grove Cemetery