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