Edward Lasell
| Edward Lasell | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 21, 1809 Schoharie, New York, U.S. |
| 💀Died | January 31, 1852 (aged 43) Newton, Massachusetts, U.S.January 31, 1852 (aged 43) |
| 🏳️ Nationality | American |
| 🏫 Education | Williams College |
| 💼 Occupation | Academic, Professor of Chemistry |
| Known for | Founder of Lasell Female Seminary |
| 👩 Spouse(s) | Ruth Ann Whitman (m. 1833) |
| 👴 👵 Parent(s) | Chester Lasell Nancy Manning |
Edward Lasell (January 21, 1809 – January 31, 1852) was an American academic and professor of chemistry who famously founded the Auburndale Female Seminary, which was later renamed the Lasell Female Seminary in his memory.
Early life and education
Edward Lasell was born in Schoharie, New York, on January 21, 1809. He was the eldest son of Chester Lasell, a farmer and hat manufacturer, and Nancy Manning Lasell, who had originally relocated to New York from Windham, Connecticut. Raised in a prominent local family, he grew up alongside thirteen siblings. He pursued higher education at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, where he graduated valedictorian in 1828, before joining the faculty. On October 13, 1833, he married Ruth Ann Whitman in Williamstown.
Academic career
Following his graduation, Lasell became a Professor of Chemistry at Williams College. While working in Williamstown In the late 1840s he took a sabbatical to serve as an instructor of chemistry at the Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, which is the oldest member of the historic Seven Sisters colleges.
His firsthand experience instructing the female students convinced him of their capacity for advanced academic and scientific scholarship. Deeply motivated by the scholastic aptitude of his female pupils, Lasell chose to resign from his faculty position at Williams College to invest his personal time and life savings into expanding rigorous academic opportunities for women by establishing an independent institution.
Founding of Lasell Seminary
In 1851, Lasell chose to leave his position at Williams College to fulfill his educational vision. Moving to the Auburndale village of Newton, Massachusetts, he founded the Auburndale Female Seminary in September 1851. His innovative curriculum offered women an advanced education that combined traditional academic subjects with scientific approaches to music, art, and domestic sciences.
Death
Lasell's tenure at the new institution was tragically cut short. During the school's very first semester, he contracted typhoid fever and died on January 31, 1852, at the age of 43. Following his death, he was buried at the Williams College Cemetery in Williamstown.
Legacy
Despite Lasell's sudden death, the school proved highly successful. In honor of its founder, the institution was soon renamed the Lasell Female Seminary (and later, the Lasell Seminary for Young Women). Control was eventually transferred to a board of trustees in 1874.
The institution continued to evolve over the next century, transitioning into a junior college in 1932, a four-year institution in 1989, and a fully coeducational university—known today as Lasell University—in 1997.
References
Bibliography
- Winslow, Donald J. (1987). Lasell: A History of the First Junior College for Women. Boston, MA: Lasell Junior College. ISBN 0-9619720-0-9. Retrieved June 23, 2026. Search this book on
- Lasell University (October 18, 2024). "Inauguration Program: The History of Lasell University" (PDF). Lasell University Marketing and Communications. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
External links
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