Sarah Louise Arnold (February 15, 1859 – February 26, 1943) was an American educator, author, and

suffragist Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise is the right to vote in public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally in English, the right to vo ...

. She was better known in the schoolroom and among teachers than any other woman connected with education in her day. In 1902, she became the first

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 ...

of Simmons College. In 1925, she became the national president of the Girl Scouts. Arnold was also a writer of books for teachers and texts for schools.

Early life and education

Sarah Louise Arnold was born in

Abington, Massachusetts Abington is a New England town, town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States, southeast of Boston. The population was 17,062 at the 2020 census. History Before the Europeans made their claim to the area, the local Native Americans r ...

, February 15, 1859. She had 14 siblings. Arnold read Latin at the age of eleven and graduated from high school at the age of thirteen, before graduating from Bridgewater Normal School (now,

Bridgewater State University Bridgewater State University is a public university with its main campus in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, United States. It is the largest of nine state universities in Massachusetts. Including its off-campus sites in New Bedford, Massachusetts, N ...

Career

Arnold was the Supervisor of Primary Education in

Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

. From 1895 to 1902, she was the Supervisor of Schools 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 ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

. In 1902, Arnold became the first dean of Simmons College (now

Simmons University Simmons University (previously Simmons College) is a private university in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1899 by clothing manufacturer John Simmons. In 2018, it reorganized its structure and changed its name to a ...

). Until then, no woman had occupied so high a place in the U.S. educational system for the same length of time. She stated that she owed much of her success to

Emerson E. White Emerson Elbridge White (January 10, 1829 – October 21, 1902) was an American educator and the third president of Purdue University. Career Ohio Emerson White began his teaching career at the age of seventeen when he was both a student and an i ...

's course of lectures at the

Martha's Vineyard Summer Institute Martha's Vineyard Summer Institute was the first summer school for teachers in the United States. The school was started in the summer of 1878 and closed in June 1906. It was situated in Cottage City, Massachusetts, Cottage City being near the eas ...

when she was a young teacher, these courses showing her how possible and important it was to think clearly and vigorously. In 1922, Arnold resigned the responsibilities of active leadership in Simmons College in order to become an educator-at-large. Her highest inspirations were given through public speech. She spoke in nearly every state of the U.S. During

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, the Federal Food Administration sent her to the colleges and universities of the country to make addresses, including several at the state and national meetings of the

General Federation of Women's Clubs The General Federation of Women's Clubs (GFWC), founded in 1890 during the Progressive Movement, is a federation of approximately 2,300 women's clubs in the United States which promote civic improvements through volunteer service. Community Serv ...

. An address made in the early 1920s in the

Cincinnati Music Hall Music Hall, commonly known as Cincinnati Music Hall, is a classical music performance hall in Cincinnati, Ohio, completed in 1878. It serves as the home for the Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Opera, May Festiva ...

was heard by an audience of more than 3,000. During the period of 1925 to 1928, she served as national president of the Girl Scouts."Sarah Arnold, Educator, Dies: Simmons Dean Emerita, Once Girl Scout Head". ''

Boston Herald The ''Boston Herald'' is an American conservative daily newspaper whose primary market is Boston, Massachusetts, and its surrounding area. It was founded in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States. It has been awarde ...

''. February 27, 1943. p. 34. During that time, her theme was education. Arnold wrote

textbook A textbook is a book containing a comprehensive compilation of content in a branch of study with the intention of explaining it. Textbooks are produced to meet the needs of educators, usually at educational institutions, but also of learners ( ...

s on the topics of literature and grammar. These included, ''Stepping Stones to Literature'', ''Arnold Primer'', and ''Waymarks for Teachers''. Published in 1934, ''The Way of Understanding'' focused on Girl Scout leadership. She was also an active suffragist, prominent in various suffrage organizations. In 1913, Arnold served as president of American Home Economics Association. She also served on the Advisory Council of Better Homes in America, and on the Advisory Committee of "The Committee of Awards of the Popular Radio Medal for Conspicuous Service". Arnold was an honorary vice-president of the Women's Municipal League of Boston.

Death and legacy

Arnold made her home in

Newton Centre, Massachusetts Newton Centre is one of the thirteen villages within the city of Newton in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The main commercial center of Newton Centre is a triangular area surrounding the intersections of Beacon Street, Centre S ...

, and later in Boston at Hotel Graylan. She died at the hotel, February 26, 1943. Her papers are held by Simmons University.

Selected works

* ''Waymarks for Teachers'', 1894 * ''Stepping Stones to Literature'', 1897 (with Charles Benajah Gilbert) * ''Reading; how to teach it'', 1899 * ''The Arnold Primer'', 1901 * ''The Mother Tongue'', 1905 :* Book I.-Lessons in Speaking. Reading and Writing English (with

George Lyman Kittredge George Lyman Kittredge (February 28, 1860 – July 23, 1941) was a professor of English literature at Harvard University. His scholarly edition of the works of William Shakespeare was influential in the early 20th century. He was also involved in ...

) :* Book II.-An Elementary English Grammar with Lessons in Composition (with George Lyman Kittredge) :* Book III.-The Elements of English Composition. (with John Have Gardiner and George Lyman Kittredge) * ''The mastery of words'', 1916 * ''The story of the Sargent industrial school at Beacon, New York, 1891–1916'', 1917 * ''The Way of Understanding'', 1934

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Arnold, Sarah Louise 1859 births 1943 deaths 19th-century American educators 20th-century American educators 20th-century American women educators 19th-century American non-fiction writers 20th-century American non-fiction writers 19th-century American women writers 20th-century American women writers People from Abington, Massachusetts Educators from Massachusetts Bridgewater State University alumni Simmons University faculty Suffragists from Massachusetts Girl Scouts of the USA national leaders American women textbook writers American textbook writers 19th-century American women educators