Mary Sharp College facts for kids

Mary Sharp College was a special school for young women in Winchester, Tennessee. It was open from 1851 to 1896. At first, it was called the Tennessee and Alabama Female Institute. The college was named after Mary Sharp, who was against slavery.

History of Mary Sharp College

The idea for Mary Sharp College started in 1850. It was officially opened by Dr. Z. C. Graves and the Baptist Church. This college was very important because it was the first women's college in the USA to offer the same kinds of degrees as colleges for men. This was a big step forward for women's education!

Dr. Graves had new and bold ideas for what students should learn. He based the school's study plan on famous colleges for men, like Amherst College, Brown University, and the University of Virginia. He also made sure students learned about religion and good morals. Everyone had to go to chapel.

Unlike many other schools for girls at the time, students at Mary Sharp College studied many challenging subjects. They learned:

• Algebra, geometry, and trigonometry (types of math)
• Latin and Greek (ancient languages)
• English literature, grammar, and how to write well
• Ancient, English, and American history
• Philosophy (the study of ideas) and rhetoric (the art of speaking and writing well)
• Geography and geology (the study of Earth)
• Botany (the study of plants), chemistry, astronomy (the study of space), and physiology (the study of how bodies work)

The college gave out its first degrees in 1855. Sadly, the school had to close in 1896 because of money problems across the country.

Famous People from Mary Sharp College

• Adelia Cleopatra Graves (1821-1895), who was a teacher, writer, and poet.
• Eva Munson Smith (1843–1915), who was a composer (someone who writes music), poet, and author.