Maria Mitchell In Her Own Words

Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • January 19, 2016

Jan. 1880. I read a paper in Boston, Dec. 27, to the University Association. The points I attempted to show were: that we attempt too many studies for thoroughness; that the whole system of prizes and marks is immoral; that the great need of colleges is money and that it is the cause of these; that we have not money because our people do not believe in the education of women.


The question of prizes noted here by Maria Mitchell concern more about colleges providing prizes to others, perhaps even scholarships for which she was called out. Maria was NOT against monetary prizes, meaning scholarships for students. She created a scholarship in her father’s memory and when presented by Vassar College with a pension, she refused it, feeling that such money should go to the students and not her so that those who did not have enough money to attend Vassar would be able to do so. But here, prizes might also reflect our society’s desire to award everyone a prize as you see among younger students whether it be a sports game, a talent contest, or what-have-you. We give prizes for anything and everything. Frankly, we need to stop that. We need to teach young children that not everyone wins and that you learn something from losing. As an article a friend gave to me recently stated, by awarding everyone a prize – even those who come in last – we are not teaching our children to develop grit. Without grit, they give up and without grit, they become adults who give up easily but also assume everything should be given to them and everything deserves an award. Climbing the ladder and working hard to get there, not necessary. But that’s not how it works. That’s not how you or I got where we did, our parents, or our grandparents. Heck, if not for grit, my family may have remained in Ireland or Italy or Germany. It’s too hard to scrape up the funds to go to America. It’s too hard to learn the English language. It’s too hard to start life anew and move to an unknown place. If Maria felt that way, where would women be? Where would women’s education be? Now that is true grit.


JNLF

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Maria Mitchell In Her Own Words

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July 31, 1883. I had two or three rich days! On Friday last I went to Holderness, N.H.. to the Asquam House; I had been asked by Mrs. T to join her party. There was at this house Mr. Whittier, Mr., and Mrs. Cartland, Professor and Mrs. Johnson, of Yale . . . The house seemed full of fine, cultivate people. We stayed two days and a half. And first of the scenery. The road up to the house is a steep hill, and at the foot of the hill it winds and turns around two lakes. The panorama is complete one hundred and eighty degrees. Beyond the lakes lie the mountains.  The Asquam House sat atop Shepard Hill and was built in 1881. A hotel, it has space for fifty guests, it was located near Squam Lake and became part of a summer enclave that developed there in the later part of the nineteenth century. Today, the area is a National Historic Landmark, but sadly, the hotel was demolished in 1948. Maria would have been familiar with these people seen here – and others I did not include – but particularly John Greenleaf Whittier who was something of a family friend. He was close to one of her younger brothers, William Forester. JNLF

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The Birth of the Maria Mitchell Observatory: Celebrating Over 100 Years of Discovery

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As we are now complete with the conservation of the historic Maria Mitchell Vestal Street Observatory (MMO), I thought it would be good to post a series of blogs concerning it history and activities, as well as some of the amazing people who have made it what it is over the last 100 plus years. Therefore, over the next few weeks, the focus will be on the MMO. And it is now open for tours – Monday through Saturday 11-1PM. Founded in 1902, the Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) had its beginnings in the Mitchell House where Maria Mitchell was born. Over the first few years, the preservation of the Mitchell House, family artifacts, and the collection and display of Nantucket’s native flora and fauna, as well as a small library, were the key components of the MMA. Special “Moon Evenings” were held on the lawn and people observed Nantucket’s night skies using several small telescopes, including William and Maria Mitchell’s two-and-three-quarter-inch Dollond telescope. The popular evenings led to the inevitable – a desire and need to expand based on the demands of the visitors to, and members of, the MMA. In 1906, Lydia Hinchman, a founder of the MMA and a family member, purchased the house and lot adjacent to the Mitchell House. The house – once the home of William Mitchell’s father and mother – was taken down. The MMA began a dialogue with the Harvard College Observatory and its director, Edward Pickering, Ph.D. The connection to Harvard was to become essential to the success of the beginning years of the Maria Mitchell Observatory and continued a legacy of friendship and work – Maria Mitchell and her father worked with the Bonds who once ran the observatory at Harvard and the families were close friends. Besides his assistance, Pickering asked a member of his staff, Annie Jump Cannon, to assist the MMA. This “provided an indispensable collaboration for Nantucket astronomy,” with Cannon spending two weeks on the island in 1906 and 1907 lecturing and teaching. While back at Harvard, she continued to teach the students on Nantucket by mail. Cannon would go on to be recognized as the leading woman astronomer of her generation and as the founder of the MMA’s Astronomy Department. JNLF
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