Maria Mitchell In Her Own Words

Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • May 9, 2016

May 16, 1870
 
President Raymond,
 
We desire to call your attention to the fact, that, after nearly five years of what we believe to be faithful working for the good of the College, our pay is still far below that which has been offered at entrance, to the other professors, even when they have been wholly inexperienced. We respectfully ask that our salaries may be made equal to those of other professors.
 
Maria Mitchell Professor of Astronomy
 
Alida C. Avery Professor of Physiology and Hygiene


As I have noted in several posts before, Maria Mitchell was grossly underpaid for her work, as was Alida Avery though she would later be paid a bit more. The Trustees of Vassar College used Maria Mitchell’s housing situation to claim her smaller pay – she lived in the Observatory with her father (thus having “two homes”) while everyone else lived in Main Building. They claimed she had a private residence – with all her students studying and observing on top of her she had no privacy in her “own” home – and her building also used a lot of coal! This was a constant battle for Maria. When they did increase the salaries of Alida Avery and Maria, the Trustees raised the room and board fee on the two women! Equal pay for equal work was frankly never settled for these women. Today, it still isn’t as we have been seeing it screaming in headlines as women athletes are stepping up – such as women soccer players. Ever noticed how professional women basketball players need to have jobs outside of basketball? The men don’t! In 1878, under a new president, Maria presented a summary of the salary disputes to a Vassar trustee and in this summary it was revealed that both Maria and Alida Avery were so upset by the discrepancy they thought about resigning from the College. Vassar would have been a very different place without these two women.


JNLF

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NANTUCKET, MA— The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) is excited to announce the return of its Fourth Annual MMA Pop-Up Shopping Event, taking place July 13–15, 2026, at 33 Washington Street . The three-day event will bring together more than fifteen thoughtfully curated, female-founded brands for an elevated shopping experience, with 15% of vendor sales benefiting the Maria Mitchell Association's new Discovery Center & Aquarium Project. The annual pop-up has quickly become a summer tradition, offering island residents and visitors the opportunity to discover unique fashion, home décor, accessories, art, jewelry, gourmet foods, and lifestyle brands while supporting one of Nantucket's most beloved nonprofit organizations. This year’s vendors include Center & Spring, CJW, Classic & Curious Podcast with Anne Kokoskie, Dress More with Less, Haute Energy, Hibiscus Linens, Leigh Brown, Line in the Sand, Love All Tennis, Lulu Powers, Marfa Stance, MDVII, Michela Bruni Reichlin, Neelah Cashmere, The Preppy Stitch, Those Carls Girls, and Wendy Loves This. The event kicks off with an opening party on Monday, July 13, featuring the second annual Summer Games: Mahjong & Backgammon Tournament, presented by the Nantucket Mahjong Club . Guests will enjoy a late afternoon of friendly competition, shopping, Château Sainte Marguerite rosé, a Triple 8 cocktail by Tinker’s Bar , Caviar Nantucket , Shells Angels Raw Bar, Nantucket Nosh, and entertainment by DJ Garrett Justice . One hundred percent of tournament proceeds from the tournament will benefit the MMA Discovery Center & Aquarium Project. The shopping event will continue on Tuesday, July 14 and Wednesday, July 15 with fifteen percent of all vendor sales to benefit the Maria Mitchell Association's Discovery Center & Aquarium Project. Three-Day Event Details at 33 Washington Street: MMA Opening Party with Summer Games: Mahjong & Backgammon Tournament Monday, July 13 4:00–7:00 p.m. MMA Pop-Up Shopping Event Tuesday, July 14 & Wednesday, July 15 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. For vendor information, and additional details, visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/2026-summer-pop-up About the Maria Mitchell Association: The Maria Mitchell Association is a private non-profit organization. Founded in 1902, the MMA works to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. The Maria Mitchell Association operates two observatories, a natural science museum, an aquarium, a research center, and preserves the historic birthplace of Maria Mitchell. A wide variety of science and history-related programming is offered throughout the year for people of all ages. ###
By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger July 6, 2026
July 15. {1863} My dear Sally . . . I think Mitchell is all right in his algebra. He can’t stand an examination in Trig but I don’t believe he will have a rigorous one. Father has seen the Prof. and will give him a letter to them.  If you can’t be honest with your sibling, who can you be honest with? Apparently, Sally Mitchell Barney’s son, William Mitchell Barney – known as Mitchell as his cousin William Mitchell Barney was known as Willie (how is that for honoring your father?!) – was visiting his aunt Maria and his grandfather, William Mitchell, at their home in Lynn, MA. Sally still lived on Nantucket and I suspect Mitchell was not only visiting but getting some much needed help with his mathematics by his aunt Maria. As always, she is brutally honest – he won’t pass a test in trigonometry (but, neither would I!). JNLF
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