Born June 26, 1767 (Litchfield, Connecticut)

Died January 19, 1852 (Litchfield, Connecticut)

Educator

Sarah Pierce was an educator who opened and operated the first school in the United States dedicated to the higher education of women. The Litchfield Female Academy was the leading institution for women during the first decades of the nineteenth century. It attracted students from fifteen states and territories, Canada, Ireland, and the West Indies. Pierce greatly influenced the history of education through the many young women she trained as teachers. While some of her students returned to teach at Litchfield Female Academy, others, inspired by Pierce, went on to establish their own schools. Many of the Female Academy's graduates devoted their energies to improving educational opportunities for other women.

An Untried Experiment

Sarah Pierce was born on June 26, 1767, the youngest of seven children of John Pierce, apotter, and his first wife, Mary Paterson. When Sarah's mother...