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Florence A. Fensham

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Florence Fensham (May 25, 1861 – February 15, 1912)[1] was a suffragist and the first woman to receive a seminary degree from the Congregational Church.[2]

Early life and education

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Fensham was born in New York.[3] Her parents were Lambert and Sarah Bartel Simmons.[1]

She attended school in Edinburgh, Cambridge, and Oxford.[4] In Edinburgh, she studied under Patrick Geddes, and then she studied history in Cambridge with J. Rendel Harris.[5] She then began studying theology and missionary work at Mansfield College in Oxford.[5]

On May 9, 1902, Fensham received a Bachelor of Divinity from the Fisk theological seminary in Chicago;[5] this made her the first woman to receive a seminary degree from the Congregational Church.[6] The New York Times reported her achievement in an article entitled "Unusual Honor to a Woman".[7]

Career

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In 1883, Fensham became the dean of the American college for girls in Constantinople.[5] Among other things, she taught Old Testament Literature at the college.[8]

Fensham became dean of the women's college at Beloit College.[5]

She is an author of A Modern Crusade in the Turkish Empire, a book she wrote with Mary Ely Lyman and Mrs. H. B. Humphrey.[9]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Florence Amanda Fensham". Find a grave.
  2. ^ "Unusual Honor to a Woman". The New York Times. 10 May 1902. p. 8. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  3. ^ "Clipped From The Minneapolis Journal". The Minneapolis Journal. 1905-05-24. p. 13. Retrieved 2020-03-31.
  4. ^ "Prominent Delegates. The Evening Star. (Washington, D. C.) 18 February 1902, p 13". Evening Star. 1902-02-18. p. 13. Retrieved 2020-03-31.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Clipped From The Minneapolis Journal". The Minneapolis Journal. 1905-05-24. p. 13. Retrieved 2020-03-31.
  6. ^ "Unusual Honor to a Woman". The New York Times. 10 May 1902. p. 8. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  7. ^ "Clipped from the New York Times". The New York Times. 1902-05-10. p. 8. Retrieved 2020-03-31.
  8. ^ Article 1 -- no title. (October 12, 1899). The Independent ...Devoted to the Consideration of Politics, Social and Economic Tendencies, History, Literature, and the Arts (1848-1921), 51, 2778.
  9. ^ "A Modern Crusade in the Turkish Empire". Internet Archive. 1908.