WILLARD. Emma Hart, American edu cator: b. Berlin, Colin., 23 Feb. 1787: d. Troy, N. Y., IS April 1870. She began her career as a teacher in subsequently became principal of a girls' academy at Middlebury, Vt., and in 1800 was married to Dr. John Willard. She opened at her home in Middlebury. Vt., in 1814, a boarding school for girls in which she intro duced various improvements in methods of in struction and also taught subjects hifh included in the curriculum of girls' Desiring a broader field for the development of her ideas of education she addressed to the New York legislature in 1819 a treatise entitled 'A Plan for Improving Female Education.' It was an able exposition of excellent ideas and found favor with Gov. John Clinton, resulting in the establishment in that year of a seminary for girls at Waterford, N. Y., which was in corporated and was partially supported by the State. She removed to Troy in 1823, where she was presented by the city with a suitable build ing for her school, henceforth known as the Troy Female Seminary. After the death of her husband in 1825 she conducted the business management of the school in addition to her other work until 1838, when she resigned her duties into the hands of her son. She trav eled in Europe in 1830, assisted in founding a school for girls in Athens, Greece, and after ward published 'Journal and Letters from France and Great Britain' (1833), the proceeds of which she presented to the school. She was
married to Dr. Christopher C. Yates in 18" but in 1843 she secured a divorce from him and resumed her former name. She traveled 8,000 miles through the Southern States in 1846 en gaged in lecturing before conventions of teach ers, and in 1854 was present at the World's Educational Convention in London. Mrs. Wil lard is one of the most prominent figures in the history for higher education for women in the United States. She was not only an advocate of advancement but a practical worker for it and brought to her task great earnestness of purpose, coupled with high abilities and execu tive capacity. Her school-books were widely used and were translated into European and Asiatic languages. They include 'The Wood bridge and Willard Geographies and Atlases' (1823) ; 'History of the United States' (1828); 'Treatise on the Circulation of the Blood' (1846); 'Last Leaves of American History' (1%9); 'Astronomy' (1853); 'Morals for the Young' (1857), etc. She also wrote some ex cellent verse, which includes the famous 'Rocked in the Cradle of the Deep.' A statue was unveiled to her memory at Troy in 1895. Consult Lord, John, 'Life of Emma Willard' (1874).