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Katharine Sprague Alvord was born
in Sandusky, Ohio in 1871 to Mr. and Mrs. F.W. Alvord. Katharine’s father was
engaged in the wholesale fish business, and was a partner in the Alvord-Peters
publishing company. After graduating from Sandusky High School in 1889,
Katharine earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan, and a
Master’s degree from Columbia University. She studied for a time at Cornell
University as well.
She taught for several years at Oshkosh State College
in Wisconsin in the late 1800s and early 1900s. While at Oshkosh, a student made this sketch
of Katharine, which is now housed at the Follett House Museum.
Katharine Sprague Alvord was DePauw
University’s first Dean of Women, serving in that role from 1915 to 1936. A student duplex on the campus of DePauw
was named in her honor. She is credited with starting most of
the women’s organizations on campus at DePauw, and she encouraged dozens of
female students to pursue advanced degrees. You can read a bit more about
Ms. Alvord in this college publication.
When Katherine Sprague Alvord
retired, she moved to Gaylordsville, Connecticut, where she died in 1960 at the
age of 88. Miss Alvord’s final resting place is in the Alvord family lot at
Sandusky’s Oakland Cemetery.
1 comment:
Correction. Katherine was the niece, not the daughter of F.E. Alvord. Katherine and her mother (Louise Gann), lived with F.E. and his wife Ella on Columbus Ave. as noted on the 1910 Census. Louise was AE Alvord's sister.
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