Patricia Albjerg Graham (born 1935) is a historian of American education. She was the first woman to be appointed as a

dean Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean * Dean Sw ...

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

, serving as dean of the

Harvard Graduate School of Education The Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) is the education school of Harvard University, a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1920, it was the first school to grant the EdD degree and the first ...

from 1982 to 1991. She began her teaching career in

Deep Creek High School Deep Creek High School is a public secondary school in Chesapeake, Virginia. It is part of Chesapeake City Public Schools and is located on 2900 Margaret Booker Drive. History In 1845, Norfolk County, Virginia constructed the first public scho ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

in 1955 and went on to become a lecturer at

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a state university system, system of Public university, public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. The system has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration o ...

, professor of history and education at

Barnard College Barnard 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 affiliated with Columbia University in New York City. It was founded in 1889 by a grou ...

and

Teachers College, Columbia University Teachers College, Columbia University (TC) is the graduate school of education affiliated with Columbia University, a private research university in New York City. Founded in 1887, Teachers College has been a part of Columbia University since ...

, and dean of the

Radcliffe Institute The Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University, also known as the Harvard Radcliffe Institute, is an institute of Harvard University that fosters interdisciplinary research across the humanities, sciences, social sciences, arts ...

and of

, where she held an endowed chair. She went on to serve as president of the

Spencer Foundation The Spencer Foundation was established in 1962 by Lyle M. Spencer. This foundation makes grants to support research in areas of education that are widely construed. It is currently led by Na'ilah Suad Nasir. Founder Lyle M. Spencer was the f ...

from 1991 to 2000. On May 28, 2015, Graham was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws by

. She was married to historian

Loren Graham Loren R. Graham (June 29, 1933 – December 15, 2024) was an American historian of science, particularly science in Russia. Early life and career Graham was born on June 29, 1933. He earned his B.A. in chemical engineering at Purdue Universit ...

(1933–2024) for 70 years until his death.

References

1935 births Living people 20th-century American historians 20th-century American women writers 21st-century American historians 21st-century American women writers American historians of education American women historians Harvard Graduate School of Education faculty Radcliffe College faculty Indiana University faculty {{US-historian-stub Teachers College, Columbia University faculty Purdue University alumni Columbia University alumni