美国名人教育家玛莉·里昂.docx

美国名人教育家玛莉里昂MaryLyon,1797-1849:ALeaderinWomen'sEducationintheNineteenthCenturyplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-15:21repeatByVivianBournazian2007-6-2ANNOUNCER:WelcometoPeopleinAmericainVOASpecialEnglish.Everyweekatthistime,wetellthestoryofsomeoneimportantinthehistoryoftheUnitedStates.Today,SteveEmberandShirleyGriffithtellaboutMaryLyon.Shewasaleaderinwomen'seducationinthenineteenthcentury.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:Duringthenineteenthcentury,women'seducationwasnotconsideredimportantintheUnitedStates.Supportersofadvancededucationforwomenfacedmanyproblems.Statesdidrequireeachtowntoprovideaschoolforchildren,butteachersoftenwerepoorlyprepared.Mostyoungwomenwerenotabletocontinueonwiththeireducationinprivateschools.Iftheydid,theyoftenwerenottaughtmuchexcepttheFrenchlanguage,howtosewclothing,andmusic.MaryLyonfeltthatwomen'seducationwasextremelyimportant.ThroughherlifelongworkforeducationshebecameoneofthemostfamouswomeninnineteenthcenturyAmerica.Shebelievedthatwomenwereteachersbothinthehomeandintheclassroom.And,shebelievedthateffortstobettereducateyoungwomenalsoservedGod.Ifwomenwerebettereducated,shefelt,theycouldteachinlocalschoolsthroughouttheUnitedStatesandinforeigncountries.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:MaryLyonwasborninBuckland,Massachusetts,inseventeenninety-seven.Herfatherdiedwhenshewasfiveyearsold.ForMary,hardworkwasawayoflife.Butshelaterrememberedwithgreatpleasureherchildhoodyearsinthehomewhereshewasborn.Thisishowshedescribedwhatshecouldseefromthathouseonahill:"Thefar-offmountainsinalltheirgrandeur,andthedeepvalleys,andwidelyextendedplains,andmorethanall,thatlittlevillagebelow,containingonlyaveryfewwhitehouses,butmorethanthoseyoungeyeshadeverseen."VOICEONE:Attheageoffour,Marybeganwalkingtothenearestschoolseveralkilometersaway.Later,shebeganspendingthreemonthsatatimewithfriendsandrelativessoshecouldattendotherareaschools.Shehelpedcleanandcooktopayforherstay.WhenMarywasthirteen,hermotherremarriedandmovedtoanothertown.Marywaslefttocareforherolderbrotherwhoworkedonthefamilyfarm.Hepaidheradollaraweek.Shesavedittopayforhereducation.Mary'sloveoflearningwassostrongthatsheworkedandsavedhersmallamountofpaysoshecouldgotoschoolforanotherfewmonths.Marybeganherfirstteachingjobataone-roomlocalschoolteachingchildrenforthesummer.Shewasseventeenyearsold.Shewaspaidseventy-fivecentsaweek.Shealsowasgivenmealsandaplacetolive.MaryLyonwasnotaverysuccessfulteacheratfirst.Shedidnothavemuchcontroloverherstudents.Shealwayswasreadytolaughwiththem.Yetshesoonwontheirparents'respectwithherskills.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:WhenMaryLyonwastwentyyearsold,shebeganalongperiodofstudyandteaching.AnewprivateschoolopenedinthevillageofAshfield,Massachusetts.ItwascalledSandersonAcademy.Maryreallywantedtoattend.Shesoldbookcoveringsshehadmade.Andsheusedeverythingshehadsavedfromherpayasateacher.ThiswasenoughforhertobeginattendingSandersonAcademy.AtSandersonzMarybegantostudymoredifficultsubjects.Theseincludedscience,historyandLatin.AfriendwhowenttoschoolwithMarywroteofher"gainingknowledgebyhandfuls."ItissaidthatMarymemorizedacompletebookabouttheLatinlanguageinthreedays.MarylaterwroteitwasatSandersonthatshereceivedthebaseofhereducation.VOICEONE:AfterayearatSandersonAcademy,Marydecidedthatherhandwritingwasnotgoodenoughtobereadclearly.Shewasatwenty-one-year-oldwoman.Butshewenttothelocalpublicschoolandsatamongthechildrensoshecouldlearnbetterwritingskills.Ineighteentwenty-one,MaryLyonwenttoanotherprivateschoolwhereshewastaughtbyReverendJosephEmerson.Marysaidhetalkedtowomen"asiftheyhadbrains,"Shepraisedhisequaltreatmentofmenandwomenwhenitcametoeducatingthem.VOICETWO:Threeyearslater,MaryLyonopenedaschoolforyoungwomeninthevillageofBuckland.ShecalledittheBucklandFemaleSeminary.Classeswereheldinaroomonthethirdfloorofahouse.Mary'sstudentspraisedherteaching.Sheproposednewwaysofteaching,includingholdingdiscussiongroupswherestudentsexchangeideas.MarysaiditwaswhileteachingatBucklandthatshefirstthoughtoffoundingaprivateschoolopentodaughtersoffarmersandskilledworkers.Shewantededucation,notprofits,tobethemostimportantthingabouttheschool.Atthattime,schoolsofhigherlearningusuallyweresupportedbypeopleinterestedinprofitsfromtheirinvestment.VOICEONE:Ineighteentwenty-eight,Marybecamesickwithtyphoidfever.Whenherhealthimproved,shedecidedtoleaveBuckland,theschoolshehadstarted.Shejoinedaclosefriend,ZilpahGrant,whohadbegunanotherprivateschool,IpswichFemaleSeminary.AtIpswich,Marytaughtandwasresponsibleforonehundredthirtystudents.Itwasoneofthebestschoolsatthetime.Butitlackedfinancialsupport.Marysaidthelackofsupportwasbecauseof"goodmen'sfearofgreatnessinwomen."ZilpahGrantandMaryLyonurgedthatIpswichbeprovidedbuildingssothattheschoolmightbecomepermanent.However,theirappealfailed.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:MaryresignedfromIpswich.Shehelpedtoorganizeanotherprivateschoolforwomen,WheatonFemaleSeminaryinNorton,Massachusetts.Itopenedineighteenthirty-five.Shealsobegantoraisemoneyforherdreamofapermanent,non-profitschoolforthehighereducationofwomen.Thisschoolwouldownitsownproperty.Itwouldbeguidedbyanindependentgroupofdirectors.Itsfinanceswouldbetheresponsibilityofthedirectors,notofinvestorsseekingprofit.Theschoolwouldnotdependonanyonepersontocontinue.And,thestudentswouldshareincleaningandcookingtokeepcostsdown.VOICEONE:MaryLyongotacommitteeofadviserstohelpherinplanningandbuildingtheschool.ShecollectedthefirstthousanddollarsfortheschoolfromwomeninandaroundthetownofIpswich.Atonepoint,sheevenlentthecommitteesomeofherownmoney.Shedidnotearnanymoneyuntilshebecameheadofthenewschool.MaryLyonopenedMountHolyokeSeminaryforWomenineighteenthirty-seven.ItwasinthetownofSouthHadley,Massachusetts.Shehadraisedmorethantwelvethousanddollars.Itwasenoughtobuildafive-storybuilding.Fourteachersandthefirstclassofeightyyoungwomenlivedandstudiedinthebuildingwhentheschoolopened.Bythenextyear;thenumberofstudentshadincreasedtoonehundredsixteen.Maryknewtheimportanceofwhathadbeenestablished-thefirstindependentschoolforthehighereducationofwomen.VOICETWO:Theschoolcontinuedtogrow.Morestudentsbegantoattend.Thesizeofthebuildingwasincreased.And,allofthestudentswererequiredtostudyforfouryearsinsteadofthree.MaryLyonwasheadoftheschoolforalmosttwelveyears.Shediedineighteenforty-nine.Shewasfifty-twoyearsold.Sheleftbehindaschoolofhighereducationforwomen.Ithadnodebt.Andithadsupportforthefutureprovidedbythousandsofdollarsingifts.Ineighteenninety-three,underastatelaw,MountHolyokeFemaleSeminarybecameacollege.MountHolyokeCollegewasthefirstcollegetoofferwomenthesamekindofeducationaswasofferedtomen.VOICEONE:PeoplewhohavestudiedMaryLyonsayshewasnotfightingabattleofequalitybetweenmenandwomen.Yetsheknewshewantedmoreforwomen.HereffortsledtothespreadofhighereducationforwomenintheUnitedStates.HistorianssayshewasthestrongestinfluenceontheeducationofAmericanyoungpeopleduringthemiddleofthenineteenthcentury.HerinfluencelastedasthemanystudentsfromMaryLyon'sschoolswentouttoteachothers.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:ThisSpecialEnglishprogramwaswrittenbyVivianBournazian.mShirleyGriffith.VOICEONE:AndmSteveEmber.JoinusagainnextweekatthissametimeforanotherPeopleinAmericanprogramontheVoiceofAmerica.