Sophia Smith 1369492 203025788 2008-04-03T12:04:09Z RogDel 6192846 Minor cleanup '''Sophia Smith''' ([[August 27]], [[1796]] in [[Hatfield, Massachusetts]] - [[June 12]], [[1870]]) founded [[Smith College]] in [[1870]] with the substantial estate she inherited from her father and siblings. [[Deaf]] since age 40, Smith initially considered endowing her fortune to an institute for the deaf, but changed her mind when the [[Clarke School for the Deaf]] opened in [[Northampton, Massachusetts|Northampton]], [[Massachusetts]] in [[1868]]. Encouraged by the Reverend [[John Morton Greene]], she decided to endow a [[women's college]] instead. Upon her death on [[June 12]], [[1870]], her fortune was willed to endow Smith College, which opened its doors in [[1875]]. She also left money for the establishment of coeducational high school in her hometown of [[Hatfield, Massachusetts]] == External links == *[http://www.smith.edu Smith College] *[http://www.smith.edu/libraries/libs/ssc/home.html Sophia Smith Collection - Women's History Archive at Smith College] *[http://clio.fivecolleges.edu/smith/sophia/ 'A Perennial Blessing' - Celebrating Sophia Smith'] *[http://www.hatfieldpublicschools.net/smith/index.htm] {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Sophia}} [[Category:1796 births]] [[Category:1870 deaths]] [[Category:People from Hampshire County, Massachusetts]] [[Category:Smith College]] [[Category:University or college founders]] [[Category:Deaf people]] {{US-activist-stub}} {{philanthropist-stub}} {{Massachusetts-stub}} {{US-northeast-university-stub}}