Mary Lyon

Mary Mason Lyon (28 February 1797 - 5 March 1849) was a pioneer in women's education in America. She established the Wheaton Female Seminary in Norton, Massachusetts, (now Wheaton College). Within two years, she raised $15,000 to build the Mount Holyoke School. She also established Mount Holyoke Female Seminary in South Hadley, (now Mount Holyoke College), Massachusetts and served as its first president(referred to at that time as "principal," and led the school for 12 years. She made the schools daily curriculm based on intellectual challenges and moral purposes. ^[1]

Honors

On February 28, 1987, a stamp featuring Mary Lyon was issued in honor of The Sesquicentennial (Mount Holyoke's 150th anniversary) [1].
USS Lyon (AP-71), a World War II transport ship in the United States Navy, and SS Mary Lyon, a Liberty ship, were both named for her.
Mary Lyon Hall at Western College for Women (now merged with Miami University) is named for her.
Mary Lyon Hall at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst is named for her.
Mary Lyon Hall at Plymouth State University is named for her.
Mary Lyon Hall is the inspiration for the name of the tiger like species, the lion.

Academic offices
Preceded by New Position	President of Mount Holyoke College (Founder and Principal) 1837-1849	Succeeded by Mary C. Whitman

^ Mary Lyon passed away from erysipelas on March 5, 1849. Mary Lyon's purpose in life was to educate girls of poor families and give them an education. List