Abby Leach facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Abby Leach
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Abby Leach
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| Born | May 28, 1855 |
| Died | December 29, 1918 (aged 63) |
| Occupation | Professor of Greek and Latin |
Abby Leach (born May 28, 1855 – died December 29, 1918) was an important American teacher and professor. She taught ancient Greek and Latin languages at Vassar College. In 1899, she made history by becoming the first female president of the American Philological Association, a group for people who study ancient languages and cultures.
Abby Leach's Life and Work
Early Life and Learning
Abby Leach was born in Brockton, Massachusetts, on May 28, 1855. She was one of five children in her family. Her father owned a business that made shoes.
Abby started reading Latin when she was very young, while attending Brockton High School. She finished high school at just 14 years old in 1869! After that, she went to the Oread Institute where she learned Greek. When she was 16, Abby taught for a short time at Brockton High. Then, she returned to Oread and taught there from 1873 to 1878.
She was also one of the first female students at Harvard University. She joined a special program for women's college-level learning that started in 1879. This program later helped create Radcliffe College, a famous college for women.
A Career in Education
At the time Abby Leach studied at Harvard, the university did not give degrees to women. So, Vassar College gave her Bachelor's and Master's degrees after she became a professor there in 1883. She taught Greek and Latin at Vassar from then until she passed away in 1918.
Abby Leach was a member of the Greek Conference of the Committee of Ten in 1894. This group was put together by the National Education Association to improve education. Abby was the only woman on any of the Committee of Ten's conferences.
She was very interested in making sure women in Japan had good chances for education. In 1898, Emperor Meiji of Japan gave her a special gold cup because of her success in helping with this goal.
In 1899, she became the first woman to be president of the American Philological Association. From 1899 to 1901, Abby Leach also led the Association of Collegiate Alumnae. This group later became the American Association of University Women, which supports women in higher education.
Later Years
Abby Leach faced health challenges in her early sixties. Her sisters, Anna and Edith, cared for her at home. Abby Leach passed away at her home on December 29, 1918, when she was 63 years old. She was buried in Brockton.
