Anna Eliot Ticknor facts for kids
Anna Eliot Ticknor (born June 1, 1823, in Boston, Massachusetts – died October 5, 1896) was an important American writer and teacher. In 1873, she started the Society to Encourage Studies at Home. This was the very first correspondence school in the United States. A correspondence school lets you learn by mail from home. Anna Ticknor is known as a pioneer of distance learning and the "mother" of these schools. She also helped set up the first public library commission in the U.S. This was the Massachusetts Free Public Library Commission. In 1890, she and Elizabeth Putnam Sohier were the first women to join a state library group in the United States.
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Anna Ticknor's Family Life
Anna Eliot Ticknor was the oldest child of George and Anna Ticknor. She was born on June 1, 1823. She had three younger siblings. Two of them, George Haven and Susan Perkins, sadly died when they were very young. Her sister Eliza lived until 1880.
Anna's family was quite notable. Her grandfather, Elisha Ticknor, helped create the system of free primary schools in Boston. He also helped start the first savings bank in the United States. Her father, George Ticknor, was a professor at Harvard University. Her mother was a writer. Her uncle, Samuel A. Eliot, was in charge of money at Harvard College.
A Children's Author
In 1896, Anna Ticknor wrote a book for kids. It was called An American Family in Paris: With Fifty-Eight Illustrations of Historical Monuments and Familiar Scenes.
The Society to Encourage Studies at Home
In Boston, Massachusetts, in 1873, Anna Ticknor started a special group. It was made up of women who taught other women through the mail. This group was the first correspondence school in the United States. It was also one of the first ways for women to get a higher education.
To help students, a lending library was started in 1875. This library grew to have thousands of books. Students had different reasons for joining. Some were young women who had not gone to school much. Others were educated women who wanted to learn even more.
Later Life and Legacy
Anna Ticknor passed away on October 5, 1896. She is buried in her family's plot at Forest Hills Cemetery in Boston. After she died, the Society to Encourage Studies at Home published a book about its history. This book was a way to honor her. It included letters between Anna, her students, and others. It showed how the Society worked and how it helped its students.
The Society stopped operating after Anna's death. However, the Anna Ticknor Library Association was formed. This new group continued to share the Society's books and materials. This allowed even more people to keep learning.
