Mary French Swarthout (born September 15, 1844) was an American educator.

M. French Swarthout, A woman of the century

Early life

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Mary French Swarthout was born in Sangerfield, New York, on September 15, 1844. [1]

She was educated in the Baptist Seminary in Waterville, New York, and afterwards took the course in the State Normal School in Albany, New York. [1]

After finishing her school work, she moved with her parents to Lake County, Illinois. [1]

Career

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Mary French Swarthout moved to Chicago, devoting her time to educational pursuits. She was engaged in the Chicago schools for the last fifteen years of the 19th Century. [1]

She was the author of a series of arithmetics known as Sheldon's Graded Examples. These books were used in the schools of Chicago, and quite extensively throughout the West. [1]

She was the vice-president of the Illinois Woman's Press Club and a member of the Authors' Club. [1]

In 1892, together with Sarah Wilder Pratt, another prominent clubwoman and author of books on mathematics, she founded the Woman's Columbian Laundry, a company that should have been managed and employed only women. The venture was a success, but Pratt and Swarthout were outvoted and they filed a claim for being reimbursed. [2]

Personal life

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Mary French Swarthout married early, and she had two sons and one daughter. [1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Willard, Frances Elizabeth, 1839-1898; Livermore, Mary Ashton Rice, 1820-1905 (1893). A woman of the century; fourteen hundred-seventy biographical sketches accompanied by portraits of leading American women in all walks of life. Buffalo, N.Y., Moulton. p. 702. Retrieved 8 August 2017.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)  This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. ^ "Wednesday, December 21, 1892". Chicago Tribune. 1892. Retrieved 24 August 2017.