Agnes Irwin
Encyclopedia
Agnes Irwin was an American educator, best known as the first dean of Radcliffe College
from 1894–1909 and as the principal of the West Penn Square Seminary for Young Ladies in Philadelphia, later re-named, in her honor, The Agnes Irwin School, from 1869-1894. Today, The Agnes Irwin School continues to be a leader in girls' education with 665 girls enrolled in grades PreK-12. The school is currently located in suburban Rosemont, Pennsylvania
, 10 miles west of Philadelphia.
She was born in Washington, DC, the daughter of Congressman William Wallace Irwin
. Her mother, Sophia Arabella Bache, was born November 14, 1815 at Philadelphia, and died there on March 24, 1904; she was the daughter of Richard Bache, Jr.
, who served in the Republic of Texas
Navy and was elected as a Representative to the Second Texas Legislature in 1847 and Sophia Burrell Dallas, the daughter of Arabella Maria Smith and Alexander J. Dallas
, an American statesman who served as the U.S. Treasury Secretary under President James Madison
. She was also great-granddaughter of Sarah Franklin Bache
and Richard Bache
, and more notably she was the great-great-granddaughter of Benjamin Franklin
, as well as a grandniece of George Mifflin Dallas, the 11th Vice President of the United States
, serving under James K. Polk
.
With Sarah Butler (Mrs. Owen J.) Wister, she was the editor of Worthy Women of Our First Century (1877).
She died of pneumonia in Philadelphia in 1914.
She was the subject of a 1934 biography by Agnes Repplier
.
Radcliffe College
Radcliffe College was a women's liberal arts college in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and was the coordinate college for Harvard University. It was also one of the Seven Sisters colleges. Radcliffe College conferred joint Harvard-Radcliffe diplomas beginning in 1963 and a formal merger agreement with...
from 1894–1909 and as the principal of the West Penn Square Seminary for Young Ladies in Philadelphia, later re-named, in her honor, The Agnes Irwin School, from 1869-1894. Today, The Agnes Irwin School continues to be a leader in girls' education with 665 girls enrolled in grades PreK-12. The school is currently located in suburban Rosemont, Pennsylvania
Rosemont, Pennsylvania
Rosemont is a community in Pennsylvania on the Pennsylvania Main Line lying partly in Radnor Township, Pennsylvania and partly in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania.Part of the geographic area is served by the Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, ZIP code...
, 10 miles west of Philadelphia.
She was born in Washington, DC, the daughter of Congressman William Wallace Irwin
William W. Irwin
William Wallace Irwin was Mayor of Pittsburgh and a Whig member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.-Early life:...
. Her mother, Sophia Arabella Bache, was born November 14, 1815 at Philadelphia, and died there on March 24, 1904; she was the daughter of Richard Bache, Jr.
Richard Bache Jr. (Texas politician)
Richard Bache, Jr. , was a Representative to the Second Texas Legislature in 1847 and assisted in drawing up the Texas Constitution of 1845, the first of Texas' five state constitutions.-Early life and ancestors:...
, who served in the Republic of Texas
Republic of Texas
The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...
Navy and was elected as a Representative to the Second Texas Legislature in 1847 and Sophia Burrell Dallas, the daughter of Arabella Maria Smith and Alexander J. Dallas
Alexander J. Dallas (statesman)
Alexander James Dallas was an American statesman who served as the U.S. Treasury Secretary under President James Madison....
, an American statesman who served as the U.S. Treasury Secretary under President James Madison
James Madison
James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...
. She was also great-granddaughter of Sarah Franklin Bache
Sarah Franklin Bache
Sarah Franklin “Sally” Bache was the daughter of Benjamin Franklin and Deborah Read.Known as "Sally" throughout her life, she was an ardent American patriot during the Revolutionary War through relief work and as her father's political hostess...
and Richard Bache
Richard Bache
Richard Bache , born in Yorkshire, England, was the son-in-law of Benjamin Franklin. After arriving in Philadelphia from Yorkshire, England, in 1761, Bache prospered as a marine insurance underwriter and importer. In 1767, misfortune struck; debts contracted by him were repudiated by his London...
, and more notably she was the great-great-granddaughter of Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin
Dr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...
, as well as a grandniece of George Mifflin Dallas, the 11th Vice President of the United States
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
, serving under James K. Polk
James K. Polk
James Knox Polk was the 11th President of the United States . Polk was born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. He later lived in and represented Tennessee. A Democrat, Polk served as the 17th Speaker of the House of Representatives and the 12th Governor of Tennessee...
.
With Sarah Butler (Mrs. Owen J.) Wister, she was the editor of Worthy Women of Our First Century (1877).
She died of pneumonia in Philadelphia in 1914.
She was the subject of a 1934 biography by Agnes Repplier
Agnes Repplier
Agnes Repplier was an American essayist born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her essays are esteemed for their scholarship and wit.-Essay collections:*Books and Men *Points of View...
.